Eating healthy on 21 dollars per week...

Nurses Activism

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"no organic foods, no fresh vegetables, we were looking for the cheapest of everything," mcgovern said in an interview with the washington post at a washington supermarket. "we got spaghetti and hamburger meat that was high in fat—the fattiest meat on the shelf. i have high cholesterol and always try to get the leanest, but it's expensive. it's almost impossible to make healthy choices on a food stamp diet."

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even for those people who are not seeing eroding benefits over time, the reality is “there are health consequences” to living on such a limited budget for more than a few days. people on food stamps are often forced to choose foods with higher fat, breads that are not whole grain and processed foods with unhealthy levels of sodium and sugar—a dangerous combination for people prone to diabetes, heart disease or other diet-related health problems. “living (on $21 a week) for a week is different from living on it for six months,” weill said.

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that is why more people should demand to know why—in a year in which we are projected to give the wealthiest 1 percent of the nation some $56.5 billion in tax breaks, just to cite one example of the national priorities set by president bush—we can’t do better than an average of $21 a week to ensure that our fellow americans can have three decent meals a day.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/05/18/food_stamps_the_21_question.php

Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
BTDT. Yes, it's difficult to feed a family solely on food stamps. You have to budget, ad-watch and stock up when good sales are going. It is true that food stamps are meant to supplement the family's resources and not be the sole source of grocery funds, but the reality for many of America's poor is that food stamps are the only grocery budget they have. You are given "credit" (deduction from your gross income) for allowable items like child care for you to go to work or rent, but those allowance are usually far less than what you actually do pay. In my area, the maximum childcare deduction was $70/week per child. I paid $90/week per child. The so-called "family contribution" to the grocery funds according to the Food Stamps little government chart was just completely swallowed up by child care and necessities like electricity, another item which has a "standard" deduction. Housing for the poor is often run-down and very energy inefficient. The nice, neat paper chart the government uses is unrealistic at best.

Wow. We eat just fine. So I guess I know my food budget when I start working.

Specializes in midwifery, NICU.
Darren, since you're so bent on proving this and coaxing some sort of response from Viking, why not take it to PM? Because really, it's not relevant to the original topic, nor to any other poster on this board.

:yeahthat: totally agree KellNY!

what state makes you PAY for foodstamps?

I receive 374 a month for three people, so that's 124 a piece a month and 31 dollars a week. I have always had money left over at the end of the month and I get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and lean meats.

I don't know why these are so expensive in other areas; the conveinence foods are much worse. Cabbage is 59 cents ahead, lettuce is 99 cents, carrots a bag for 1.29, peppers 50 cents, squash and potaotes are cheap. Broccolli is 1.00 something a bunch. The meat is what's expensive, that's why you get it on sale and freeze it.

I completely agree that it is doable.

I posted on this before, I have no problem with anyone receiving food stamps if they are going back to school, or truly need it (other than being allergic to work).

However, I see these people pay with food stamps and they have their cards piled up with foods that we can't afford ourselves. We never buy frozen dinners except for frozen veggies, and that is the raw veggies, not the sauces up ones. We also have about two meatless dishes a week. One of our favorites is a large pot of green beans, corn, fried potatoes and onions and cole slaw...we serve it with rolls, and diced tomatoes (only when in season, and we grow our own). CHEAP and healthy!

Pinto beans is one of the most healthy non-meat items you can serve, and they are 30 cents a bag!

I agree with you completely...if you look, and plan, it's doable. Lord knows with me not working, and the kids in daycare, we have been trying to cut our grocery bill every where we can.

A family pays for food stamps according to income. The income must be at or below the poverty level.

The amount is $80.00 a month per person.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/faqs.htm

I think it would be a good idea for items like sodas and chips to be disallowed. You can't buy a bar of soap with food stamps (now a debit card). Why should you be able to buy junk?

Still it takes a brilliant nutritionist to provide healthy meals for the amount food stamps provises.

I know a nursing assistant who supports her mother, daughter, and grand child. She pays $170.00 for $240.00 in food stamps. It is a big help to her.

I found your post very interesting and I went to read the guidelines.

I didn't see anywhere, where you had to pay to receive foodstamps.

Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
I found your post very interesting and I went to read the guidelines.

I didn't see anywhere, where you had to pay to receive foodstamps.

Perhaps it varies by state. When I worked in IL, I remember a patient telling us that her food stamp application was denied because she did not have a source of income to pay for her food stamps.

This thread is temporarily closed for cooling off and clean-up of off-topic posts.

This thread is re-opened.

Please, stick to the topic at hand.

Thanks.

Share Our Strength is one organization low income people can be referred to.

More than 12 million children are at risk of hunger in America. Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline® is a groundbreaking nutrition education program that helps families help themselves by teaching them how to prepare healthy low-cost meals.

Professional chefs and nutritionists volunteer their time and expertise to lead hands-on courses that instruct adults, teens and kids living on a low-income how to get the most nutrition out of a limited budget.

http://www.strength.org/what/operationfrontline/

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