Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to have little or no empathy OP. Why judge people so harshly? It sounds like your mom did what she could, but that food does not seem healthy. Have you been to a store lately? Fruits and vegetables are very expensive. The only thing that isn't is Trader Joes pasta and pasta sauce. It wouldn't be healthy to eat that for long. Also, since you're so judgey, why was your mom a single mom? Why no man in the picture? She could have afforded more for you with a man in the pic.

Seriously?

Organic black Lentils are $2.99. Carrots are $3.00. Celery $2.99. Make a soup in a pot that will feed you for a week. So many excuses.

How many true blood, “North American” bred and raised people have ever eaten a lentil, much less knowing how to prepare a dried one?

And are you really making soup with only lentils, carrots, celery, water? Seems like it would taste awful. You aren’t adding flavor. You aren’t skimming. What else is being used as an adjunct? People forget about the other things that make food palatable, or a meal - spices, broth, etc. those things cost money, need storage, and need some element to skill to use. I could do it, but I know what to do. It’s like saying bread and water are a meal.

DP here. Buy a rotisserie chicken for $5 and pick all the chicken off and chop/shred it. Divide it in two. Use one batch to make a casserole with frozen broccoli (microwaved), a can of cream of chicken, a can of cream of celery, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake. Serve over instant white rice. This feeds our family of four (with leftovers) for $10. Use the other half of the chicken to make a soup or stew (like chicken noodle or chicken tortilla, chicken rice, so many choices online with simple ingredients.) Also a $10 meal. Eating healthy dinners for $70/week for a family of four is pretty straightforward. Oatmeal or store brand cereal, milk, and bananas for breakfast. Tuna, PB, or Turkey sandwiches for lunch with sliced apples bought in bulk (or other in season produce on a good sale.) Supplement with canned/frozen fruit and veggies. Yes, you need more than what I've listed (spices, condiments, etc. but you don't go through those every time you use them.) You are making this much harder than it needs to be.

Anonymous wrote:

do you have education about nutrition and actually know what to buy?

This. I wish I could remember what it was but I saw a documentary focusing on a few families and their struggles to eat healthy food.

A single mom with an obese daughter was heartbroken and frustrated that her daughter was not losing weight. They were eating lots of cold cereal. They thought it would help because they bought whole grain cereal. They thought that was the most important thing.

A lot of people don't know, and there are many reasons why that might be the case.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to have little or no empathy OP. Why judge people so harshly? It sounds like your mom did what she could, but that food does not seem healthy. Have you been to a store lately? Fruits and vegetables are very expensive. The only thing that isn't is Trader Joes pasta and pasta sauce. It wouldn't be healthy to eat that for long. Also, since you're so judgey, why was your mom a single mom? Why no man in the picture? She could have afforded more for you with a man in the pic.

Seriously?

Organic black Lentils are $2.99. Carrots are $3.00. Celery $2.99. Make a soup in a pot that will feed you for a week. So many excuses.

How many true blood, “North American” bred and raised people have ever eaten a lentil, much less knowing how to prepare a dried one?

And are you really making soup with only lentils, carrots, celery, water? Seems like it would taste awful. You aren’t adding flavor. You aren’t skimming. What else is being used as an adjunct? People forget about the other things that make food palatable, or a meal - spices, broth, etc. those things cost money, need storage, and need some element to skill to use. I could do it, but I know what to do. It’s like saying bread and water are a meal.

DP here. Buy a rotisserie chicken for $5 and pick all the chicken off and chop/shred it. Divide it in two. Use one batch to make a casserole with frozen broccoli (microwaved), a can of cream of chicken, a can of cream of celery, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake. Serve over instant white rice. This feeds our family of four (with leftovers) for $10. Use the other half of the chicken to make a soup or stew (like chicken noodle or chicken tortilla, chicken rice, so many choices online with simple ingredients.) Also a $10 meal. Eating healthy dinners for $70/week for a family of four is pretty straightforward. Oatmeal or store brand cereal, milk, and bananas for breakfast. Tuna, PB, or Turkey sandwiches for lunch with sliced apples bought in bulk (or other in season produce on a good sale.) Supplement with canned/frozen fruit and veggies. Yes, you need more than what I've listed (spices, condiments, etc. but you don't go through those every time you use them.) You are making this much harder than it needs to be.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to have little or no empathy OP. Why judge people so harshly? It sounds like your mom did what she could, but that food does not seem healthy. Have you been to a store lately? Fruits and vegetables are very expensive. The only thing that isn't is Trader Joes pasta and pasta sauce. It wouldn't be healthy to eat that for long. Also, since you're so judgey, why was your mom a single mom? Why no man in the picture? She could have afforded more for you with a man in the pic.

Seriously?

Organic black Lentils are $2.99. Carrots are $3.00. Celery $2.99. Make a soup in a pot that will feed you for a week. So many excuses.

How many true blood, “North American” bred and raised people have ever eaten a lentil, much less knowing how to prepare a dried one?

And are you really making soup with only lentils, carrots, celery, water? Seems like it would taste awful. You aren’t adding flavor. You aren’t skimming. What else is being used as an adjunct? People forget about the other things that make food palatable, or a meal - spices, broth, etc. those things cost money, need storage, and need some element to skill to use. I could do it, but I know what to do. It’s like saying bread and water are a meal.

DP here. Buy a rotisserie chicken for $5 and pick all the chicken off and chop/shred it. Divide it in two. Use one batch to make a casserole with frozen broccoli (microwaved), a can of cream of chicken, a can of cream of celery, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake. Serve over instant white rice. This feeds our family of four (with leftovers) for $10. Use the other half of the chicken to make a soup or stew (like chicken noodle or chicken tortilla, chicken rice, so many choices online with simple ingredients.) Also a $10 meal. Eating healthy dinners for $70/week for a family of four is pretty straightforward. Oatmeal or store brand cereal, milk, and bananas for breakfast. Tuna, PB, or Turkey sandwiches for lunch with sliced apples bought in bulk (or other in season produce on a good sale.) Supplement with canned/frozen fruit and veggies. Yes, you need more than what I've listed (spices, condiments, etc. but you don't go through those every time you use them.) You are making this much harder than it needs to be.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to have little or no empathy OP. Why judge people so harshly? It sounds like your mom did what she could, but that food does not seem healthy. Have you been to a store lately? Fruits and vegetables are very expensive. The only thing that isn't is Trader Joes pasta and pasta sauce. It wouldn't be healthy to eat that for long. Also, since you're so judgey, why was your mom a single mom? Why no man in the picture? She could have afforded more for you with a man in the pic.

Seriously?

Organic black Lentils are $2.99. Carrots are $3.00. Celery $2.99. Make a soup in a pot that will feed you for a week. So many excuses.

How many true blood, “North American” bred and raised people have ever eaten a lentil, much less knowing how to prepare a dried one?

And are you really making soup with only lentils, carrots, celery, water? Seems like it would taste awful. You aren’t adding flavor. You aren’t skimming. What else is being used as an adjunct? People forget about the other things that make food palatable, or a meal - spices, broth, etc. those things cost money, need storage, and need some element to skill to use. I could do it, but I know what to do. It’s like saying bread and water are a meal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up poor. My single mom made minimum wage her entire life as a personal support worker. She is from southern Africa and only has a 6th grade education. We ate very healthy food. What made it work was that she cooked from scratch and we ate the same food several days in a row.

She managed the cost of food by preparing simple healthy dishes (stews and cornmeal porridge, or stews and rice).

She managed the time it takes to shop and cook by cooking one or two big pots of stew per week, so there was not so much variety in what we ate. We didn't have a car, so we took the bus to the grocery store once a week.

She got paid every Thursday and on payday we would have a treat (maybe a pizza or burgers).

Anyway, she came from a different place and a different time, but that is how you can be poor and eat healthy.

So why don't you go to a store today, armed only with $300 in food stamps for one month for 4 people and see how you do. Feel free to come back and show us how you did it.

Food stamps are not intended to fully fund a family’s food needs for the month. They are SUPPLEMENTAL assistance for food.

And where else is the money coming from? Do tell. Because there is rent and transportation and clothes and laundry and and and.

It’s coming from the budget those things are also coming out of? It’s coming from earned income?

It’s not the government’s job to make sure citizens have their priorities in order. If people would rather blow money on X rather than saving it for Y, that’s their problem.

You obviously don't know poor people. that's largely not the issue. But please, tell us how you'd survive in the DMV on 20k/year.

Sure! I wouldn’t. Nobody is forcing anyone to stay in an incredibly expensive area. We have freedom of movement in this country.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up poor. My single mom made minimum wage her entire life as a personal support worker. She is from southern Africa and only has a 6th grade education. We ate very healthy food. What made it work was that she cooked from scratch and we ate the same food several days in a row.

She managed the cost of food by preparing simple healthy dishes (stews and cornmeal porridge, or stews and rice).

She managed the time it takes to shop and cook by cooking one or two big pots of stew per week, so there was not so much variety in what we ate. We didn't have a car, so we took the bus to the grocery store once a week.

She got paid every Thursday and on payday we would have a treat (maybe a pizza or burgers).

Anyway, she came from a different place and a different time, but that is how you can be poor and eat healthy.

So why don't you go to a store today, armed only with $300 in food stamps for one month for 4 people and see how you do. Feel free to come back and show us how you did it.

Food stamps are not intended to fully fund a family’s food needs for the month. They are SUPPLEMENTAL assistance for food.

And where else is the money coming from? Do tell. Because there is rent and transportation and clothes and laundry and and and.

It’s coming from the budget those things are also coming out of? It’s coming from earned income?

It’s not the government’s job to make sure citizens have their priorities in order. If people would rather blow money on X rather than saving it for Y, that’s their problem.

You obviously don't know poor people. that's largely not the issue. But please, tell us how you'd survive in the DMV on 20k/year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to have little or no empathy OP. Why judge people so harshly? It sounds like your mom did what she could, but that food does not seem healthy. Have you been to a store lately? Fruits and vegetables are very expensive. The only thing that isn't is Trader Joes pasta and pasta sauce. It wouldn't be healthy to eat that for long. Also, since you're so judgey, why was your mom a single mom? Why no man in the picture? She could have afforded more for you with a man in the pic.

Seriously?

Organic black Lentils are $2.99. Carrots are $3.00. Celery $2.99. Make a soup in a pot that will feed you for a week. So many excuses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up poor. My single mom made minimum wage her entire life as a personal support worker. She is from southern Africa and only has a 6th grade education. We ate very healthy food. What made it work was that she cooked from scratch and we ate the same food several days in a row.

She managed the cost of food by preparing simple healthy dishes (stews and cornmeal porridge, or stews and rice).

She managed the time it takes to shop and cook by cooking one or two big pots of stew per week, so there was not so much variety in what we ate. We didn't have a car, so we took the bus to the grocery store once a week.

She got paid every Thursday and on payday we would have a treat (maybe a pizza or burgers).

Anyway, she came from a different place and a different time, but that is how you can be poor and eat healthy.

So why don't you go to a store today, armed only with $300 in food stamps for one month for 4 people and see how you do. Feel free to come back and show us how you did it.

Food stamps are not intended to fully fund a family’s food needs for the month. They are SUPPLEMENTAL assistance for food.

And where else is the money coming from? Do tell. Because there is rent and transportation and clothes and laundry and and and.

It’s coming from the budget those things are also coming out of? It’s coming from earned income?

It’s not the government’s job to make sure citizens have their priorities in order. If people would rather blow money on X rather than saving it for Y, that’s their problem.

You obviously don't know poor people. that's largely not the issue. But please, tell us how you'd survive in the DMV on 20k/year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Stop infantilizing people who don’t have as much money as you do.
Just because they have fewer monetary resources or conveniences doesn’t mean they are stupid and need you to rescue them or teach them how to eat healthy.

Let people make their own choices and stop pretending you need to be their savior or know better than they do how to eat what they want/need to eat for their families.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the OP. I am sorry I wasn't clear. My point was that I keep hearing that poor people can't afford to eat healthy, but it can be done. It just involves planning, and cooking, and accepting that you may eat the same meals several days in a row.

Not always. Thanks for your singular data point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up poor. My single mom made minimum wage her entire life as a personal support worker. She is from southern Africa and only has a 6th grade education. We ate very healthy food. What made it work was that she cooked from scratch and we ate the same food several days in a row.

She managed the cost of food by preparing simple healthy dishes (stews and cornmeal porridge, or stews and rice).

She managed the time it takes to shop and cook by cooking one or two big pots of stew per week, so there was not so much variety in what we ate. We didn't have a car, so we took the bus to the grocery store once a week.

She got paid every Thursday and on payday we would have a treat (maybe a pizza or burgers).

Anyway, she came from a different place and a different time, but that is how you can be poor and eat healthy.

So why don't you go to a store today, armed only with $300 in food stamps for one month for 4 people and see how you do. Feel free to come back and show us how you did it.

Food stamps are not intended to fully fund a family’s food needs for the month. They are SUPPLEMENTAL assistance for food.

And where else is the money coming from? Do tell. Because there is rent and transportation and clothes and laundry and and and.

It’s coming from the budget those things are also coming out of? It’s coming from earned income?

It’s not the government’s job to make sure citizens have their priorities in order. If people would rather blow money on X rather than saving it for Y, that’s their problem.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You seem to have little or no empathy OP. Why judge people so harshly? It sounds like your mom did what she could, but that food does not seem healthy. Have you been to a store lately? Fruits and vegetables are very expensive. The only thing that isn't is Trader Joes pasta and pasta sauce. It wouldn't be healthy to eat that for long. Also, since you're so judgey, why was your mom a single mom? Why no man in the picture? She could have afforded more for you with a man in the pic.

Seriously?

Organic black Lentils are $2.99. Carrots are $3.00. Celery $2.99. Make a soup in a pot that will feed you for a week. So many excuses.

Anonymous wrote:None of this works when the stove in your crappy apartment breaks and you’re scared to tell the landlord because if he comes in he’ll know you have more than the allowed number of occupants in your place.

Or when you have a slumlord who won’t deal with the mouse and/or roach infestation so you can’t store any food in bulk.