-
If you're lucky enough to be poor...
- Nov 24, 2008 at 7:33 PM
- By
- Comments (160) Total Views (3849) Everyone can see this journal post.
We were recently approved for food stamps, as my husband was laid off his job and we have three small children. We were in shock to discover that even with his full time income, we would have qualified for assistance. This frustrated us a little, thinking of all the times we had to choose between groceries, gas or our heating bill.
The first time we went shopping with our new EBT card, I was slightly elated. I actually felt lucky. I had enough money to buy all the fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grain food I wanted. I could splurge on organic and all natural food. I could buy a good cut of meat for my husband and fresh fish for myself. I could make sure my kids ate something other than macaroni for lunch.
Poor people are often times overweight, with related health issues. They often times buy cheap, nasty, unhealthy food that has little or no nourishment--chips, soda, "cardboard" pizzas, sugary cereal, junk food. It seems to me that if you are on food stamps, this is your opportunity to turn your diet around and eat the healthiest food you possibly can, because for once you can AFFORD it.
The experts raise alarms about our national obesity epidemic. Here's an idea--make good food affordable for the families that need that nutrition the most: low income people and their children. Organic is such a buzzword, green and all natural are such elitist notions, that normal people struggling to pay the grocery bill, the heating bill, and have enough gas in the car to make it to work and back can't fathom shelling out the money for food like that.
Then there are people who desperately need food stamps but aren't approved because they aren't destitute enough. That's total crap. People need their vehicles to go to work, and yet the system insists they must be one foot from living on the street before they will receive benefits from some states. The system needs to be revamped for some element of common sense as a key part to the whole process.
So, I don't know if I'm just really weird, but I'm thrilled, at this time in my life, to have the opportunity to buy healthy food. Being on food stamps gave me that chance. If you are on food stamps, I hope you are taking advantage of this too.
Comments:
Good for you, Joye.
I love avocados.
It makes me happy that you are using the money to buy healthy food for your family. I wish others did this and didn't waste the money on junk.
I love you, Joye. You know, though, that some asshole is going to come along and ruin this for you...
I totally feel you on this Joye. I am making a real effort to buy more fresh fruit and vegetables and eliminate junk form my kids life. I get so annoyed at the fact that cage free, antibiotic free chicken eggs cost over 3 dollars for a dozen but 18 factory farmed eggs choked with who knows what only cost me 2 dollars. Some weeks, I can't afford to splurge on the organic eggs. And what is up with high fructose corn syrup? They sneak that into everything! The only cracker I can buy anymore is a triscut because even the stuff that looks all whole grain and healthy is full of high fructose corn syrup. I bake my own bread now instead of buying it to avoid the stuff. I splurge and spend 3.50 on a bag of all natural cheetos cheese puffs, passing by the cheap and easy regular cheetos so I have a fun and at least a little healthy snack for my kids, but I can't afford that every week either. This is the sort of thing that makes me militant.
My daughter and I were on food stamps when I wasn't working and I agree we ate pretty well back then.. although our splurge was Ben & Jerry's not organic veggies... but hey to each his own!!
Good for you, Joye. I used to be on food stamps, and yeah, we bought the healthy stuff cause we COULD. It was friggin' awesome.
This is so true, mah deah, and I am glad you put it out there :)
I was just thinking the other day about why junk food is so cheap and readily available but you spend an arm and a leg to buy something fresh and healthy?
I'm pretty sure it's a conspiracy.
Joye, I'm totally with you. I'm thinking about checking out food stamps up here so that we CAN afford to buy healthier food. It disgusts me that eating healthier IS more expensive. No wonder the poorer people are, the more obesity and cholesterol and whatnot are problems.
We have been several times in the past and I felt EXACTLY like you did. I was so elated. I have felt frustrated time and time again that someone could go to the grocery store and come out $100 cheaper if they bought all CRAP food for their family than if they bought healthy. This is a great post, voting up!
Already a member? Click here to log in
Eating healthy is the best choice to make.It does not matter if you are on food stamps or not,We spend so much money with fast food and oyher things we do not need,but when it comes to health food we say it too expensive.NOT
- oracao
Message Friend Invite