Eating healthy on 21 dollars per week...

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DarrenWright

173 Posts

Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.

Seeds are cheap, often free.

We had this novel thing called a GARDEN when I was growing up. Watermelon, strawberries, honeydew, rhubarb, tomatoes and more. We grew corn, onions, beans, peas, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, and every year us kids picked a corner to grow something we thought we might be interested in tending to (only if we wanted to...and I liked MORE watermelon and roasted pumpkin seeds, and the green onions before they got big). We had a pecan tree and orange tree when we lived in the south, and several apple trees and a small grape arbor.

We'd ride our bikes to a local orchard and paid a buck fifty per bucket to pick blueberries (or we picked them wild), and picked wild rasberries, blackberries, and elderberries...granted, elderberries are horrible to eat, but the jelly is good.

Our stuff was cheap, and for more natural than that stuff they try to pass off as "organic" at the grocery store.

It's not about food stamps, it's about laziness,and there is no sin in growing up poor when folks work hard and still get by, nor is there a "poor quota," meaning we don't have to keep childhood poverty below a certain number.

Cymy

40 Posts

do you not have a market where you can buy fresh stuff? And, imho, the fresh stuff should be given to the kiddos! Worry about what goes into THEIR bodies and feeds their minds!

Yes, my local supermarket is cheaper than the farmers' markets. But, unfortunately, fresh fruits and vegetables are more expensive than canned and frozen. I support 5 children--one I gave birth to and am still breastfeeding at age 3 (so I do worry about what goes into my body as it then goes into his), two I adopted from Russia at ages 8 and 10 years (now 14 and 16), and two that are "foster" kids that I have had for 18 months (15 and 17 years old) but for which I get NO support at all from the state or the birthparents. The state would be giving their mentally disabled BLIND mother foodstamps and welfare if she had them, but she realized after her husband left her for her SISTER, that she just couldn't take care of them so she asked me to take them in order to keep them out of the state's foster care system which might separate them or move them to a location where their mother couldn't easily visit them--since being blind she can't drive. You know what she gets from the government as so-called "Aid to the Needy Blind"??? $26/month! She gets a total of $630 per month from the government plus $56 in foodstamps, she obviously can't work since not only is she blind but she's mentally disabled, and she can't support her kids on that. Rooms in the local bedbug-infested rooming house go for $125/week. Studio apartments start at $600/month. How are people in her position supposed to live? She wasn't always in this situation--the family had been doing OK until things imploded on them, but now she's basically been left "out in the rain." The father is long gone and out of the picture. He's chosen to ignore the kids since last summer, they haven't even gotten Christmas or birthday cards from him, much less any support. I won't pursue him for support because I don't want him to turn around and try to take the kids into an unhealthy environment--at least at my house they have a stable home life. Further, the state won't even provide these kids with health insurance, which they were getting until they moved in with me.

My husband makes enough money that we can make ends meet and way too much to even consider applying for welfare, but we can't afford luxuries, especially with me in school. I'm going to school so that in the event that someday my husband dies in a car crash I'll be able to support my family without placing a burden on the state.

So please, don't judge if you don't know the whole story. Yes, kids should get fresh fruit, but we adults also need to take care of our bodies so that we can take care of our children. I only posted my earlier message because I was agreeing with a previous poster who commented on how expensive fresh produce is, not to complain about foodstamps.

KellNY, RN

710 Posts

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

Gardens are a great wonderful way to grow healthy food! And seeds are super cheap.

Excellent.

Now tell that to the people living in the ghettos, to the people living on the 5th floor of a walk up high rise, to the people who move from relative to friend to relative's house because they cannot afford rent, to people living in homeless shelters, to the people living in an appartment complex who's owners do not allow vegetable/fruit gardens, to the people who live in a basement appartment who are not permitted use of the yard.

And yes, seeds can be sown in a coffee can. But really, how many coffee cans full of plants would it take to feed one person for a day? And many plants would simply not thrive in such a confined area--watermellon, pumpkins, grapes, pecan and apple and orange trees? Most people aren't lucky enough to live in that kind of world.

Most people can't walk or bike to their local neighborhood farm, because well, they don't have a local neighborhood farm. Nor do they have wild berries to be picked-at least not enough to provide any significant sources of food.

It's very sad that so many of you assume that most of these children are born to "bottom feeders" and whatnot. Do you not realize that many of these children once were above the poverty level? Parents lose jobs. They get evicted. They get sick. They have to care for elderly parents. They get divorced or dad skips town. Yeah, he should pay child support....but since he's not, these kids should go hungry? That'll learn em!

:trout:

And there certainly is something wrong with growing up poor when it means obesity, malnutrition, poor muscle mass, decreased energy, lower test scores, increased risk of DM, increased susceptibility to illnesses, increased risk for low birthweight and preterm babies, etc. There is something very wrong with that.

And to pop your Bootstrapping Bubble here, when other kids grow up poor, they're more likely to grow up to be poor adults, and it hurts the whole economy. And that effects you, so you should care, if not in a humanitarian way.

We had this novel thing called a GARDEN when I was growing up.

Growing up in New York City, a garden was, indeed, novel.

rngreenhorn

317 Posts

I doubt any of us are against helping feed people who are disadvantaged.

It is true that we all don't have the same chances in life. Some people who grew up in the culture of poverty are going to have to work harder than some to rise above it. Unfortunelty some will not make it.

However, I think gov Kulongoski's idea is somewhat misguided. For starters, before asking for more money, maybe the gov't should work on tax programs to decrease the income gap (if that is what they are worried about), decreasing corporate wellfare etc, before asking the average joe to pay more. Show us some true reform that helps the middle class, then ask us to contribute more... not business as usual.

Also, this is my govenor, what your article doesn't mention is that Oregon is actually advertising to get more people on food stamps. Because they say, "some people who are eligible don't know it." Well, I think if you truly can't pay for food, you are going to look into getting help. (Maybe I am wrong).

Also, as for as fruits and veggies being too expensive. I have to disagree. Green/red leaf lettuce is about the cheapest thing in the stores (.79 cent head). Don't buy the prepackaged stuff. That's what I do, all you need is a good salad spinner and the stuff stays fresh for ~ week. (I bought my salad spinner for $2 at the local thrift store) Tomotes are cheap, as are carrots, celery, and cucumbers. Avocodos are often on sale .50 a peice. Strawberries are in season and are dirt cheap right now. Bananas are cheap. As are potatoes and onions. Beans, rice and pasta are some of the cheapest things going. So is flour and sugar. I know all this stuff because this is what I eat. All of these staple put together properly make many great meals. (Not all at one time--- yuck) :0}

And let us not forget that the recent E coli spinach lettuce outbreak involved "organic" spinach.

Specializes in midwifery, NICU.
Yes, my local supermarket is cheaper than the farmers' markets. But, unfortunately, fresh fruits and vegetables are more expensive than canned and frozen.

So please, don't judge if you don't know the whole story. Yes, kids should get fresh fruit, but we adults also need to take care of our bodies so that we can take care of our children. I only posted my earlier message because I was agreeing with a previous poster who commented on how expensive fresh produce is, not to complain about foodstamps.

Cymy..... Please Believe me, I do not judge others! Only asked if there was a farmers market, as we have one in our town where fresh produce can be bought, and it works out cheaper than supermarket stuff..and its local fresh stuff.

I also said that it was in my opinion, thats just it..my opinion, that the kiddos be given the good food before the adults. When my 3 kiddos were wee, we had a very lean time, hubby lost his buisness, we lost our home and survived on so little. No foodstamp help etc, but anything we had went to the wee ones. This is just my experience, and when I look back, it makes me appreciate what I have now.

It may be a country difference here hon, I am in Scotland, not the US, so I dont know how the welfare works there, but just added my thought for the day!

Simplepleasures

1,355 Posts

Gardens are a great wonderful way to grow healthy food! And seeds are super cheap.

Excellent.

Now tell that to the people living in the ghettos, to the people living on the 5th floor of a walk up high rise, to the people who move from relative to friend to relative's house because they cannot afford rent, to people living in homeless shelters, to the people living in an appartment complex who's owners do not allow vegetable/fruit gardens, to the people who live in a basement appartment who are not permitted use of the yard.

And yes, seeds can be sown in a coffee can. But really, how many coffee cans full of plants would it take to feed one person for a day? And many plants would simply not thrive in such a confined area--watermellon, pumpkins, grapes, pecan and apple and orange trees? Most people aren't lucky enough to live in that kind of world.

Most people can't walk or bike to their local neighborhood farm, because well, they don't have a local neighborhood farm. Nor do they have wild berries to be picked-at least not enough to provide any significant sources of food.

It's very sad that so many of you assume that most of these children are born to "bottom feeders" and whatnot. Do you not realize that many of these children once were above the poverty level? Parents lose jobs. They get evicted. They get sick. They have to care for elderly parents. They get divorced or dad skips town. Yeah, he should pay child support....but since he's not, these kids should go hungry? That'll learn em!

:trout:

And there certainly is something wrong with growing up poor when it means obesity, malnutrition, poor muscle mass, decreased energy, lower test scores, increased risk of DM, increased susceptibility to illnesses, increased risk for low birthweight and preterm babies, etc. There is something very wrong with that.

And to pop your Bootstrapping Bubble here, when other kids grow up poor, they're more likely to grow up to be poor adults, and it hurts the whole economy. And that effects you, so you should care, if not in a humanitarian way.

Wow,thanks for giving every "gardener" here a reality bite. How many coffee cans will it take to grow a years worth of vegies? Hope their apartment has southern exposure. Some folks are so busy being judgemental, they cannot see beyond their own comfort zone.

tntrn, ASN, RN

1,340 Posts

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

At the outset, I will say that my DH and I are quite comfortable financially. That being said, in addition to the taxes we are forced to pay, we donate regularly to the food bank, and also to our church each and every time there is a natural disaster anywhere in the world. Every cent of those donations go directly to the needful, none to administrative costs. In addition, we donate to several other charities and causes.

Why oh, why, do people feel that those who have lots of money, don't deserve it, didn't really earn it, and have to be told how to spend it? Most very wealthy people pay plenty in taxes and also are huge donaters.

But on this premise, I can think of three or four people who live within 1/4 mile of us, and wow! they make more money that we do. I think I'll just be TELLING them that they owe me dinner every night. For which I won't really be grateful, might complain about the quality, and will in short time, require them to clothe me and provide my medical care also.

KellNY, RN

710 Posts

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

Most very wealthy people pay plenty in taxes and also are huge donaters.

But on this premise, I can think of three or four people who live within 1/4 mile of us, and wow! they make more money that we do. I think I'll just be TELLING them that they owe me dinner every night.

Viking posted plenty of links--do you have any to prove that "most" very wealthy people are huge donors?

And you wanting a free dinner from your neighbors....yes, that's the same thing as a child not growing up with proper nutrition...:uhoh21:

tntrn, ASN, RN

1,340 Posts

Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

No, I have no such list. And I don't believe that they (or I) should have to divulge that information. However, Bill Gates, for example, gives away millions. Of course, he makes billions. I suppose that means he should be taxed even more because he makes the most. The more you tax people, the less they have to give away. Some people will never understand that I guess. And those children? While I feel for them, it's their parents who should be feeding them, not me and not you. It's a trite statement, but people who cannot provide should not reproduce.

KellNY, RN

710 Posts

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.
those children? While I feel for them, it's their parents who should be feeding them, not me and not you. It's a trite statement, but people who cannot provide should not reproduce.

But they do reproduce...and their children suffer--which makes society as a whole suffer. When you turn your back on them, you're turning your back on everyone, because everyone is effected. Why is this concept so hard to grasp?

Proper nutrition can prevent a number of problems--problems that, in the future, will cost taxpayers a lot more money (preterm birth stands out to me--mother delivers a 30 weeker due to poor nutrition, now the baby has a NICU stay--thousands of dollars PER NIGHT there, at 3yrs old he needs speech therapy and Head Start, at 7 he's admitted into a Special Ed program at school, which will cost tax payers tens of thousands per school year. I'm not even going to comment on what this will do for his earning potential-ie his tax paying potential).

And I've said it before, but I guess it needs to be said again--not all children currently in poverty were born into it. YOU could be poor this time next year, and that means your kids would be too. Boo!

And "divulge that information"? For crying out loud, I was asking for a source to your claim, not a scanned copy of your W2s.

DarrenWright

173 Posts

Specializes in Cardiac Surg, IR, Peds ICU, Emergency.
Gardens are a great wonderful way to grow healthy food! And seeds are super cheap.

Excellent.

Now tell that to the people living in the ghettos, to the people living on the 5th floor of a walk up high rise, to the people who move from relative to friend to relative's house because they cannot afford rent, to people living in homeless shelters, to the people living in an appartment complex who's owners do not allow vegetable/fruit gardens, to the people who live in a basement appartment who are not permitted use of the yard.

And yes, seeds can be sown in a coffee can. But really, how many coffee cans full of plants would it take to feed one person for a day? And many plants would simply not thrive in such a confined area--watermellon, pumpkins, grapes, pecan and apple and orange trees? Most people aren't lucky enough to live in that kind of world.

Most people can't walk or bike to their local neighborhood farm, because well, they don't have a local neighborhood farm. Nor do they have wild berries to be picked-at least not enough to provide any significant sources of food.

It's very sad that so many of you assume that most of these children are born to "bottom feeders" and whatnot. Do you not realize that many of these children once were above the poverty level? Parents lose jobs. They get evicted. They get sick. They have to care for elderly parents. They get divorced or dad skips town. Yeah, he should pay child support....but since he's not, these kids should go hungry? That'll learn em!

:trout:

And there certainly is something wrong with growing up poor when it means obesity, malnutrition, poor muscle mass, decreased energy, lower test scores, increased risk of DM, increased susceptibility to illnesses, increased risk for low birthweight and preterm babies, etc. There is something very wrong with that.

And to pop your Bootstrapping Bubble here, when other kids grow up poor, they're more likely to grow up to be poor adults, and it hurts the whole economy. And that effects you, so you should care, if not in a humanitarian way.

I didn't create the ghetto's. I don't make people live there. They are not prisons, nor are they unescapable.

What you fail to realize is that there is a limit to what can be provided to people who always seem to be down on their luck.

For one thing, I take offense to the tone of your post, which is nothing less than judgemental of me...when I grew up poor and made the most of it instead of expecting folks like you to attempt to instill shame in others for issues of no fault of theirs. Lucky enough? It wasn't luck...it was necessity, or we'd be hungry. Mind you, I grew up with childhood asthma and parents that drank as hard as they worked, and I functioned with my parents and my siblings in a role as provider because I would walk or ride to the orchard and pick the berries...and such an idea would be just an awful expectation of children today.

I don't live in a bubble, I grew up poor, and to bring you back to reality, the primary reason poor kids become poor adults is because people like you keep repeating that it's the way things are, instead of sharing the news that they need to do something like myself (and most of my siblings did), to get out of poverty, and instead focusing on what everyone else should be sacrificing to continue the cycle of poverty. No-one ever went from poor to non-poor because of a social program, but instead of what they did for themselves. And before you engage in the oft-repeated intangible idea that folks like me are wrong because we "assume" they are incapable, you have to equally accept the idea that very likely many of them are capable. And I believe that if the welfare population is as incapable as people like you attempt to portray, then there is no hope for our society no matter where we direct the money.

Pay the unions, more money for nurses, more money for stem-cell research that isn't even remotely being funded to the level elsewhere as it is in the US, and let's run states like Pennsylvania where nearly 40% of the budget is welfare...all the while saying the non-poor aren't paying their fair share of the taxes when they actually shoulder the heaviest tax burden of all and then have to put up with constant criticism because YOU think they should do more.

There is no rationale thought to be found from the welfare crowd anymore.

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