It’s not what every snap user wants. It’s just that garbage products are calorie dense and need little to no preparation, and those things absolutely matter when working several jobs or being homeless and convincing someone to let you use their address because a permanent address is necessary.
Fucking hell, have you ever tried to live on rice and beans? You need half a dozen spices and salt just to make it taste like not sadness, plus prep time, prep space, prep bowls and pots, and then you need to wash everything. Compared with a frozen meal that cooks in the microwave and a disposable tray for serving, there’s really no contest. A “rice and beans” lifestyle requires a stay-at-home partner who soaks beans and washes dishes.
It’s a great frugal tip to stretch your grocery dollars, but if you’re poor, it’s not a moral failing to go with a cheap frozen meal.
Fucking hell, have you ever tried to live on rice and beans?
Tried and succeeded.
You need half a dozen spices and salt
Cumin, onions, garlic, salt, maybe some chili powder or a chili pepper. None of those cost much. The occasional fresh tomato can also be useful and is not expensive.
prep time
Elapsed time: can be a few hours if you soak the beans (you don’t have to for refrieds). Actual time engaged in the cooking: a few minutes.
prep bowls and pots
A pot or skillet to cook the rice in (I’d usually make Mexican rice), and another for the beans. Or you can tag-team them. You need a semi-decent knife. A steamer is very useful; otherwise you can stir-fry things.
and then you need to wash everything
Ten minutes effort, maybe less. I can do all the dishes for our current household of four adults in 15 minutes.
Compared with a frozen meal that cooks in the microwave and a disposable tray for serving, there’s really no contest.
That requires a microwave. And you can also cook from scratch using a microwave. But you can also do subsistence cooking from scratch on nothing but a shitty two-burner stove.
A “rice and beans” lifestyle requires a stay-at-home partner who soaks beans and washes dishes.
That’s not true. It requires some minimal forethought and half an hour of actual effort. And if you make bigger batches (and have enough room in the fridge to store the leftovers), you don’t need to do it every day.
it’s not a moral failing to go with a cheap frozen meal
Not at all, but ready-made frozen meals are seldom cheap. The more the processing, generally the higher the cost. Frozen ingredients, on the other hand, can be cheap-- that is, if you have a freezer. Lots of people don’t. I didn’t when I was poor, I just had access to a shared fridge. Luckily I lived near a food co-operative that had cheap fresh fruit and veg (many of which don’t actually need to be refrigerated).
You can make a relatively tasty rice with beans with canned beans and bit of salt in 10 minutes - if you are feeling fancy adding parsley will even move it to tasting good. I’m starting to suspect all the corn syrup is damaging american’s taste buds beyond repair.
Two things, canned beans and instant rice cost more than dry bulk rice and beans. And your recipe for “salt and parsley instant rice and canned beans” sounds like it’s going to taste like sadness.
You might need to soak them (though there are some recipes that don’t require it), but during that time, you are not required to stand over them watchfully to make sure no bean escapes. When you cook them, that takes about an hour. And after the first 10 minutes of prep and cooking, you only have to keep an infrequent eye on them.
It’s just one of the myriad of recommendations people make because they don’t understand the problem. People think that the simple trick that worked for them would solve similar problems for everyone. Worse, they get angry when their advice is met with resistance. It’s like Napoleon feeding the alpacas.
I know this outside of the scope of the discussion, but you can cook dried beans in a instant pot in about an hour.
Obviously that’s still going to be a struggle for anyone where time/space/equipment are a huge factor. But it’s a big difference from letting them soak overnight.
Insta pot can help, but I don’t feel it add much value in the overall cook. Sautéing, caramelizing, deglazing, etc. takes time that no home-use kitchen gadget is going to help with. Soaking beans overnight is not the problem, as much as actual time it takes to make a meal. Planning,
purchasing ingredients, prepping, cooking, cleaning…insta-pot is not worth the hype iykyk
Pasta needs no prep at all, just chuck it into boiling water and drain it once it’s cooked. Rice should be rinsed, but that’s dead easy. Beans I’ve already discussed.
Let them buy what they want you damn Nazi.
It’s not what every snap user wants. It’s just that garbage products are calorie dense and need little to no preparation, and those things absolutely matter when working several jobs or being homeless and convincing someone to let you use their address because a permanent address is necessary.
More calories per dollar for things like rice beans pasta. It’s a bit more complicated than that.
Convenience is king when you are constantly burned out and sleep deprived and “just need something good enough and easy”
Fucking hell, have you ever tried to live on rice and beans? You need half a dozen spices and salt just to make it taste like not sadness, plus prep time, prep space, prep bowls and pots, and then you need to wash everything. Compared with a frozen meal that cooks in the microwave and a disposable tray for serving, there’s really no contest. A “rice and beans” lifestyle requires a stay-at-home partner who soaks beans and washes dishes.
It’s a great frugal tip to stretch your grocery dollars, but if you’re poor, it’s not a moral failing to go with a cheap frozen meal.
Tried and succeeded.
Cumin, onions, garlic, salt, maybe some chili powder or a chili pepper. None of those cost much. The occasional fresh tomato can also be useful and is not expensive.
Elapsed time: can be a few hours if you soak the beans (you don’t have to for refrieds). Actual time engaged in the cooking: a few minutes.
A pot or skillet to cook the rice in (I’d usually make Mexican rice), and another for the beans. Or you can tag-team them. You need a semi-decent knife. A steamer is very useful; otherwise you can stir-fry things.
Ten minutes effort, maybe less. I can do all the dishes for our current household of four adults in 15 minutes.
That requires a microwave. And you can also cook from scratch using a microwave. But you can also do subsistence cooking from scratch on nothing but a shitty two-burner stove.
That’s not true. It requires some minimal forethought and half an hour of actual effort. And if you make bigger batches (and have enough room in the fridge to store the leftovers), you don’t need to do it every day.
Not at all, but ready-made frozen meals are seldom cheap. The more the processing, generally the higher the cost. Frozen ingredients, on the other hand, can be cheap-- that is, if you have a freezer. Lots of people don’t. I didn’t when I was poor, I just had access to a shared fridge. Luckily I lived near a food co-operative that had cheap fresh fruit and veg (many of which don’t actually need to be refrigerated).
I’m sure all dollar stores sell those.
You can make a relatively tasty rice with beans with canned beans and bit of salt in 10 minutes - if you are feeling fancy adding parsley will even move it to tasting good. I’m starting to suspect all the corn syrup is damaging american’s taste buds beyond repair.
Two things, canned beans and instant rice cost more than dry bulk rice and beans. And your recipe for “salt and parsley instant rice and canned beans” sounds like it’s going to taste like sadness.
This guy frugals.
Agreed. HOWEVER, we should be educating people and coming up with new ways to eat cheap, quick, and healthy.
Use your ovens, folks. Food like bacon and bratwurst turn out great in the oven and you don’t have to babysit them, either.
I wish more people understood this. Beans are so good, but only if you can devote hours to them.
You might need to soak them (though there are some recipes that don’t require it), but during that time, you are not required to stand over them watchfully to make sure no bean escapes. When you cook them, that takes about an hour. And after the first 10 minutes of prep and cooking, you only have to keep an infrequent eye on them.
It’s just one of the myriad of recommendations people make because they don’t understand the problem. People think that the simple trick that worked for them would solve similar problems for everyone. Worse, they get angry when their advice is met with resistance. It’s like Napoleon feeding the alpacas.
There’s good eatin’ on them alpacas.
I know this outside of the scope of the discussion, but you can cook dried beans in a instant pot in about an hour.
Obviously that’s still going to be a struggle for anyone where time/space/equipment are a huge factor. But it’s a big difference from letting them soak overnight.
Insta pot can help, but I don’t feel it add much value in the overall cook. Sautéing, caramelizing, deglazing, etc. takes time that no home-use kitchen gadget is going to help with. Soaking beans overnight is not the problem, as much as actual time it takes to make a meal. Planning, purchasing ingredients, prepping, cooking, cleaning…insta-pot is not worth the hype iykyk
I lived on easy hamburger helper. Everything is in the package, just cook some ground beef in a pan and mix the rest of the stuff in.
It’s not that hard, guys. You don’t need to eat candy to survive
That shit is full of sodium and really bad for you. Once they target sugar, what do you suppose is next?
Sodium is at least required for you to live. You can have 0 grams of sugar and be perfectly healthy
Having been in that situation, the time savings from eating crap is not that significant. It’s more about having a non-chaotic home life.
Yeah, I’d say the bigger issue is low income people not having time to cook, and/or not having the ability to get to a decent grocery store.
You might also be living on the street or in a car and not have the means to actually cook.
I’d also like to see how he addresses food deserts. I already saw an article suggesting 18-65 are going to lose benefits.
You’re assuming that people have the time and space to prep rice, beans and pasta. Not everyone does.
It takes minimal time and almost no space.
Pasta needs no prep at all, just chuck it into boiling water and drain it once it’s cooked. Rice should be rinsed, but that’s dead easy. Beans I’ve already discussed.
I think if we remove the cooked food restriction it would make sense
Eh, can you get a bag of equivalent volume of apples for the same as a bottle of coca cola?
Same amount of sugar, one is considerably healthier.
IDC about soda, although it’s probably less harmful than water in certain areas.
Apples. Food deserts. I’ve never seen an apple at any of the dollar stores.
And consuming how expensive cars are I don’t want to hear people say “food deserts doesn’t exist because you can drive 10 Miles”
Soda is made from municipal water. If the tap water has an issue, so will the soda
Afaik you can’t buy tap soda on benefits, only sealed containers.
The sealed containers are made from tap water too
Not necessarily from the same regions.
Next it will no sugary cereal, just oats and gruel for the peasantry.
Why spoil them? Weevil-infested hardtack, that’s all they deserve.
Obligatory /s
I haven’t had sugar cereal in a decade. I don’t know how you could ever prefer them over oat flakes
“Ingredients only, no finished products. You want to eat? Work for it!”