Heaven forbid someone enjoys their life. I’d rather pay for this than billionaire tax cuts and the bloated military budget.
Truly the land of the free, lads.
It’s like painting over murals at detention centers where kids are housed… with gray paint. It definitely sends a message.
ITT: “You don’t deserve candy if you’re poor”sorry that was meanLike, yeah, its bad for me. I was hooked on it as a kid and I’m trying to cut back except so many people in my life eats shit-tons of sugar. I’m working on it, but I do not need the government telling me what I can and can’t eat just because I’m poor. I dunno, that seems mean. Maybe RFK should work on just banning them all together (unless you’re rich ofc). If its bad for me, its bad for you, too.
But they’re the most efficient dollars-to-calories ratio… Cheapest way to feed the hungry lol
Let’s have a writing contest, you guys. Now that a Trump appointee is against it, let’s all think up reasons for why subsidized high-fructose corn syrup sold as food is not only a good thing but actually a basic human right.
Then restrict it for everyone, not just poor people.
I’m not saying we should ban these things, I’m just saying we shouldn’t be subsidizing them and purchasing them with public funds. If poor people want to buy this stuff with their own money that’s their right.
Ditching subsidies is a start.
I would tax them into oblivion like cigarettes. Hits the poor first still, but it would shift consumption habits rather than ban them outright.
I’m just saying we shouldn’t be subsidizing them and purchasing them with public funds.
Then start with the ag subsidies, not the tiny joy that poor people can wring from life.
It’s a nanny state. Sure, candy and soda is bad for you, and america has an obesity problem, but I’m against this.
Just give people money and let them buy what they want / need.
I’m tired of pedophiles and gay homophobes shaming poor people for having a soda and a candy bar. (Edit: not my intention to associate lgbtq with pedophiles, but it seems a lot of homophobes are into it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being gay, but republifuckers need to mind their own business in general and stop judging others for the behaviors they are ashamed to participate in themselves.)
It’s a nanny state.
I mean yea, but so is giving you money for food. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect that the food you get with it to be nutritious.
Eat your own nutritious food. Stop sniffing poor people ass, mind your own business
Alright, how about alcohol and cigarettes?
Just give them money, I don’t care if they want hookers and blow
It’s none of your business what poor people spend their money on.
Weird way to come around to UBI, but I’m with it
lol… I’m just tired of people trying to gate keep basic needs as though they somehow know better than poor people what they need.
If we checked what government subsidized millionaires and billionaires spent their money 10% as much as how we do poor people we could actually save money……
Food stamps and wic and other programs are generally less than a couple hundred dollars. It’s not your business what they spend it on.
Alright, fair enough
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Even ignoring that, just because you are on food stamps doesn’t mean you don’t deserve some indulgences.
There was time in my life when most of my food came from a public pantry. I know it’s not the same as stamps, bit same principle.
Anyway, birthday rolls around; didn’t think anything of it cuz I was in the “it’s just another day…” phase of life, and even if I wanted to do something for it, I wouldn’t have been able to afford it. Roll up to the pantry for that week’s pickup, and they break out a fucking cake and a hand-written birthday card! Nothing crazy - maybe 6-inch diameter, enough for the wife and I to split. But that shit pulled my ass right out of a depression spell like nothing else came close to before or since.
When I finally got a reliable income coming in and paid off the critical stuff and got a little bit of savings, my first ‘splurge’ was a $1k donation to that pantry with a note saying that their assistance pretty much single-handedly saved me from homelessness and probably from suicide; and enabled me to take the steps I needed to get the job I have now and ultimately become self sufficient.
Food is more than just nutrients; and junk food is more than just food that’s junk.
And pantries are bad ass. If anyone reading this is struggling and not yet using one, GO SEE IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE! Many people are resistant to ask for help prior to hitting absolute rock bottom, but a little help now (even if you only-kind-of need it) could save you from needing a LOT of help later. They’re also an awesome source of info on local resources - whatever your unique situation is, they can probably point you in the right direction to start getting shit under control.
…I should make another donation - shit’s extra fucked nowadays.
Thanks for sharing, I feel like people forget we’re all just people at the end of the day.
I bet it would feel very different if you just used food stamps to buy your own cake
Probably, but then that would have enabled me to give my wife that or vice versa. We don’t have kids, but a lot of food stamp recipients do - same spiel.
And even outside of special events, maybe that can of soda with dinner is the carrot-on-a-stick that gets a person through an otherwise miserable day cuz, shocker: poverty fucking sucks.
That’s the cool thing about not having arbitrary restrictions on shit like this: people are free to handle their own unique situation at their own discretion, including whether or not junk food is worth including in that week’s budget.
Yeah, less autonomy is never a solution in situations like those. It’s just a form of petty oppression.
I used to live in a kinda poor area. Lots of people on some sort of program. And that program had really restrictive rules about what you can and cannot buy. For example, you could buy Skippy peanut butter but not Skippy light peanut butter (whatever that is). It caused great confusion for the people who needed food, huge amounts of labor for the poor grocery person, and a long wait for the other shoppers in line - just so the government can save a few cents. Unbelievable.
Yep. I used to work in a store where people would ask if some specific food or drink could be paid for by food stamps/EBT all the time. I was like, idk, lets run it and see. 50/50 chance you can buy anything, and no explanation for what’s covered and what isn’t. It sucks to tell someone they can’t buy their favorite food for their birthday.
WIC most likely
Gotta stop those poors from having any joy. Only misery will suffice.
Why is it in our interest to pay for food that causes obesity and health issues?
If the concern was really about health, they’d be regulating maximum sugar % in all sodas and candies, not banning them to the poor.
And if the concern was about people’s health, Trump wouldn’t have put RFK Jr into that job.
If you want to buy sugar on your own dime, you can hurt your own health. But why should the government pay for it?
It is their own dime. The government is everybody, and it’s here to serve. Somehow they got in your had that they aren’t entitled to that, but they are.
Why should the government regulate how people eat based on their income?
Then start with ag subsidies. But that’s if you’re serious about fixing the problem and don’t just want to punish poor people for being poor.
I want you to consider what you would do if you had $300 per month to buy food. How often would you use any of that money to buy soda and candy? Would you do it on a regular? Or would you do it just for special occasions to lift your spirits when things were bad?
This isn’t about health this is about punishing the poor for being poor.
I would spend very little of it on candy and soda, but not every person makes the same choices
That doesn’t give anyone the right to choose for them.
I was very poor for two or three years in my early 20s. I was maniacally disciplined in only buying healthy, affordable food, no alcohol, no junk food, no sweets. Brown rice, beans, fish off the boat (a fishing fleet operated from our city’s harbor), tofu, miso, green veg. So I stayed healthy. If I had received any assistance, interference in my choices wouldn’t have helped. But the purpose of the interference isn’t to help, it’s to disempower, infantilize and humiliate.
So you agree that there is some amount of acceptable spending on sweets.
What if it’s not happening that much and this is just a shoe horn to get legislation to destroy benefits? What if most states already remove some purchases from the EBT/food stamp total?
It’s like drug testing for welfare. It’s sounds like a good idea until you realize it costs millions, produces almost no results and the government performing said drug tests can’t be bothered to not do it in s corrupt way?
Unlike means testing, it will cost nothing. You just update the list of what is covered. Then it’s forever banned from food stamps
Because giving more people reasons to enjoy life benefits us all. Also, fuck rich people. We should all be clamoring to take as much from them as possible to improve the lives of those who have less.
You can drink soda and eat candy without becoming obese or having health issues as a result.
Why do you consider what someone else eats to be a matter of “your interest”, at all?
Do you think your boss…who pays your salary…should be allowed to dictate what you spend it on? Is it in “their interest” to make sure you’re spending their money on “the right things”?
Do you think your boss…who pays your salary…should be allowed to dictate what you spend it on?
Historically, that was a thing until very recently. Henry Ford used to send inspectors into people’s homes to snoop on them, not only food and alcohol, but what language they spoke in the home. Thank the unions for that bullshit having been stopped.
If I’m paying for it, it’s my interest. If it’s your personal decision, then do what you want
If that’s your stance you might wanna leave the low hanging fruit where it is and pick something that actually matters. Just my two cents. Like defense spending.
I thought it was already blocked? 🤔
Huh, guess not.
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items
Households CANNOT use SNAP benefits to buy:
Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes, or tobacco
Vitamins, medicines, and supplements. If an item has a Supplement Facts label, it is considered a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase.
Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water, and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store).
Foods that are hot at the point of sale
Any nonfood items such as:
Pet foods
Cleaning supplies, paper products, and other household supplies.
Hygiene items, cosmetics
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”
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.
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).
I’m sure all dollar stores sell those.
but if you’re poor, it’s not a moral failing to go with a cheap frozen meal.
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.
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.
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.
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
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!”
What goon-affiliated product will they be able to purchase with food stamps instead? Lee Greenwood Bibles? My Pillows?
Oh good, we’ll have slightly less sugar-related inflammation while we all fucking die of bird flu
Interesting, why not start branding and labeling better that more products that have high content of X
