Missouri may be banning steak and seafood from Food Stamp Program

[Dawnlight]

I hate when people rant about what food can be bought!
Do they realize that fresh fruit and other healthy items are expensive! Starchy, processed foods are cheaper are easy to stretch.
Also - getting to stores is oftentimes a hardship for many living in poor neighborhoods relying on public transportation.

Don't people realize that a container of whole oats, to make oatmeal, is far cheaper and much healthier than sugary boxed cereals?

Don't people realize that it's cheaper to buy a bag of dried legumes or grains than to purchase potato chips and processed foods?

Healthier does not always equate to expensive.

 

[Laura66]

I find your comment regarding - people getting as much as they can for doing as little as possible - applies to a large portion of the population. Not just the poor using public assistance programs.
I do find people who are very lucky to have never needed to take advantage of these programs like to toss that statement around a lot!

 

[Laura66]

Don't people realize that a container of whole oats, to make oatmeal, is far cheaper and much healthier than sugary boxed cereals?

Don't people realize that it's cheaper to buy a bag of dried legumes or grains than to purchase potato chips and processed foods?

Healthier does not always equate to expensive.

And I'm sure all the stores that I see in the impoverished neighborhoods on the way to the Cleveland Clinic (on the bus lines or close enough to walk to) carry these items and encourage their shoppers to purchase these items.

 

[piccolopat]

I hate when people rant about what food can be bought!
Do they realize that fresh fruit and other healthy items are expensive! Starchy, processed foods are cheaper are easy to stretch.
Also - getting to stores is oftentimes a hardship for many living in poor neighborhoods relying on public transportation.

Laura, while you are right that some starchy processed foods are cheaper, if you look you at the cost compared to the nutritional value, you will see that junk food is much more expensive and doesn't contribute to good health. Fresh produce is expensive if you buy out of season, but there are good choices that can be made year round. A two or three pound bag of carrots can be less than a bag of chips and is a good snack. Bananas can be frozen and are a good alternative to ice cream. Some of this is educating people. As to the transportation issue, that is a valid point but I'm not sure carrying carrots home is more of a problem than a bag of chips.

 

[Gracie09]

Don't people realize that a container of whole oats, to make oatmeal, is far cheaper and much healthier than sugary boxed cereals?

Don't people realize that it's cheaper to buy a bag of dried legumes or grains than to purchase potato chips and processed foods?

Healthier does not always equate to expensive.

You're assuming people have the means, time and equipment to cook unprocessed foods. If they are in a homeless shelter they have little to no access to a stove or oven. They are lucky if they have a microwave. If they work long hours or have multiple jobs (as many do) they may not have the time to soak bean and slow cook oatmeal. They may also lack knowledge on how to do so. Also, many inner cities are food desserts so they are limited to what the small shops around them may stock and most aren't stocking legumes and grains. Its not like Whole Foods or Sprouts will open a store in East Harlem that take food stamps. Saying they can just do A B or C is not a practical solution when they may face limits that you don't.

 

[Gracie09]

Laura, while you are right that some starchy processed foods are cheaper, if you look you at the cost compared to the nutritional value, you will see that junk food is much more expensive and doesn't contribute to good health. Fresh produce is expensive if you buy out of season, but there are good choices that can be made year round. A two or three pound bag of carrots can be less than a bag of chips and is a good snack. Bananas can be frozen and are a good alternative to ice cream. Some of this is educating people. As to the transportation issue, that is a valid point but I'm not sure carrying carrots home is more of a problem than a bag of chips.

chips don't spoil, produce does. When you are trying to fill bellies for a month, you think long term. Also, the produce available at corner stores is the produce that would be thrown out at most suburban grocery stores - old, bruised and on its way out.

 

[toystory1130]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bethhof...why-it-is-critical-to-continue-their-support/

Its about 18 months old, but gives a nice summary of who is using food stamps.

++Know your facts- support "entitlement" programs like SNAP.
Around here a sense of "entitlement " is definatly felt. I like the way WIC works and feel SNAP should be the same.

 

[Laura66]

You're assuming people have the means, time and equipment to cook unprocessed foods. If they are in a homeless shelter they have little to no access to a stove or oven. They are lucky if they have a microwave. If they work long hours or have multiple jobs (as many do) they may not have the time to soak bean and slow cook oatmeal. They may also lack knowledge on how to do so. Also, many inner cities are food desserts so they are limited to what the small shops around them may stock and most aren't stocking legumes and grains. Its not like Whole Foods or Sprouts will open a store in East Harlem that take food stamps. Saying they can just do A B or C is not a practical solution when they may face limits that you don't.

Thank you! Thats what I was trying to say. You are more articulate than I am.

 

[Laura66]

Laura, while you are right that some starchy processed foods are cheaper, if you look you at the cost compared to the nutritional value, you will see that junk food is much more expensive and doesn't contribute to good health. Fresh produce is expensive if you buy out of season, but there are good choices that can be made year round. A two or three pound bag of carrots can be less than a bag of chips and is a good snack. Bananas can be frozen and are a good alternative to ice cream. Some of this is educating people. As to the transportation issue, that is a valid point but I'm not sure carrying carrots home is more of a problem than a bag of chips.

You are assuming that these corner stores carry these items and that they have the time and appliances available to prepare or store them.

 

[Miskey]

++Know your facts- support "entitlement" programs like SNAP.
Around here a sense of "entitlement " is definatly felt. I like the way WIC works and feel SNAP should be the same.

The word entitlement popped out at me, too. I believe that says it all.

 

[MIGrandma]

Go into a convenience store after school and watch how many kids will come in and buy chips, candy bars and redbulls with their EBT card. No way should that be allowed.

At our local dollar stores, many of the premade Easter Baskets had "EBT eligible" stickers on them. Food stamps should not pay for Sweet tarts and a bunch of crappy toys.

I disagree with many that have already posted saying there are only a few abusers of the system. I think there are only a few that respect and appreciate the system and use it as it is intended.

I completely agree with everything you said. And children shouldn't be allowed to use the EBT card in the first place. I'm amazed that is allowed.

 

[Gracie09]

The word entitlement popped out at me, too. I believe that says it all.

Yeah those pesky entitlement programs like social security, unemployment, VA programs, medicare, medicaid, federal employee health care. Combined they make up a whooping 2% of our federal budget. We need to rein in all that unnecessary spending

 

[DisneyNutMary]

Food stamps are a hot topic among supermarket workers; these are the people who see what the average recipient buys, and also sees what the assistance abusers buy. You would be amazed at the things we have to explain to food stamp users daily.

I'm all for limiting food stamps to nutritious foods. This is easy, just eliminate taxed foods from the program. I always think of taxable food items as the "fat tax" because the foods make you fat- candy, soda, and some sports and energy drinks.
I'm okay with chips and cookies as food stampable, even the under privileged deserve a treat, but candy and soda can be done without.

Food stamps are a great program for those in need. Unfortunately, often those in need are not approved because they are a few dollars over the income limit, or have what the government considers to be another source of support.
And there are those who know how to game the system and get food stamps when they can afford to support themselves, but do it on unclaimed income. Working in a membership warehouse club, we see the abusers more often - they pay the membership fee and are the ones buying high ticket electronics in addition to their food items.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Food stamps are a hot topic among supermarket workers; these are the people who see what the average recipient buys, and also sees what the assistance abusers buy. You would be amazed at the things we have to explain to food stamp users daily.

I'm all for limiting food stamps to nutritious foods. This is easy, just eliminate taxed foods from the program. I always think of taxable food items as the "fat tax" because the foods make you fat- candy, soda, and some sports and energy drinks.
I'm okay with chips and cookies as food stampable, even the under privileged deserve a treat, but candy and soda can be done without.

Food stamps are a great program for those in need. Unfortunately, often those in need are not approved because they are a few dollars over the income limit, or have what the government considers to be another source of support.
And there are those who know how to game the system and get food stamps when they can afford to support themselves, but do it on unclaimed income. Working in a membership warehouse club, we see the abusers more often - they pay the membership fee and are the ones buying high ticket electronics in addition to their food items.

In some states, ALL food is taxed. It may be taxed modestly, but it is still taxed. So suggesting not having taxable items count as eligible won't work in some areas as all food would be ineligible.

 

[HelenePA]

One of my 9 yr old sons friends lives in a local hotel. They have a very small fridge and no real stove to cook with. I'm sure they have a microwave but other than that nothing. I know he lives basically on shelf stable food. Making it like the WIC system would mean he would starve. They have no way to "cook" real foods like dry beans or rice. How many other families are in this same situation? What would they do? where would they go to cook this food?

 

[luvsJack]

My father used to own a small grocery store in a very poor area of town. Back then there was no card but they got actual "stamps". The kids would come in and use them because they lived with grandma or great-grandma and she couldn't get to the store. She could send them and yes sometimes they would add a candy bar or a bag of chips to the order because grandma said they could. I remember some of those kids so vividly and wonder what happened to them. There is no way under the sun I would ever want to take that treat away from them. They are still human and still children. And yes there may be a good reason the kid has the card.

Easter baskets? Really? You would take that away from these kids? I could see complaining if the adult was buying beer but its for a child.

As for the actually lobster and steak, I think that most ebt families need some information about stretching their food money through the month and how to feed their family healthy with the food, money and equipment that they have. I have a family member that is on ebt and she seems to think she has to spend it all the moment it goes on the card. Literally, she would stay up until midnight they night they put it on the card and go to Walmart and spend every bit of it at one time. I told her that if she would not spend it all at one time that she could keep back enough to buy milk and produce every week. She does buy the milk that way now, but very little produce.

 

[Anesthesia Fine]

I completely agree with everything you said. And children shouldn't be allowed to use the EBT card in the first place. I'm amazed that is allowed.

Yes, it's terrible that children get to eat.

I can't stand when people judge what's in my cart and I am an upper middle class white woman living in an affluent area. I cannot imagine what it's like for someone to be judged constantly for everything they do just because they haven't had the privileges that I do.

 

[Laura66]

I don't deny that abuse is widespread.
However, It bothers me that there is so much scorn and judgement on low income people abusing and working the system than there is for middle and upper class people. While they may not use public assistance programs - there are certainly large numbers of people who are dishonest and workwhatever systems they can!

 

[Laura66]

My father used to own a small grocery store in a very poor area of town. Back then there was no card but they got actual "stamps". The kids would come in and use them because they lived with grandma or great-grandma and she couldn't get to the store. She could send them and yes sometimes they would add a candy bar or a bag of chips to the order because grandma said they could. I remember some of those kids so vividly and wonder what happened to them. There is no way under the sun I would ever want to take that treat away from them. They are still human and still children. And yes there may be a good reason the kid has the card.

Easter baskets? Really? You would take that away from these kids? I could see complaining if the adult was buying beer but its for a child.

As for the actually lobster and steak, I think that most ebt families need some information about stretching their food money through the month and how to feed their family healthy with the food, money and equipment that they have. I have a family member that is on ebt and she seems to think she has to spend it all the moment it goes on the card. Literally, she would stay up until midnight they night they put it on the card and go to Walmart and spend every bit of it at one time. I told her that if she would not spend it all at one time that she could keep back enough to buy milk and produce every week. She does buy the milk that way now, but very little produce.

Alert the presses! I agree with everything you said.

 

[msjprincess]

One of my 9 yr old sons friends lives in a local hotel. They have a very small fridge and no real stove to cook with. I'm sure they have a microwave but other than that nothing. I know he lives basically on shelf stable food. Making it like the WIC system would mean he would starve. They have no way to "cook" real foods like dry beans or rice. How many other families are in this same situation? What would they do? where would they go to cook this food?

MTE

I have a girl in my Girl Scout troop that lives in a homeless shelter. It used to be a hotel. They live in a hotel room with a microwave and tiny fridge.