Do you support restricting what food stamps can be used to purchase?

[lightbulb27]

Food stamps should only be used to buy nutritious food, that's my opinion. Want to buy "junk"... get a job! Junk includes a lot of food in the USA food supply, I'll refrain from listing it but simply say if you ask some americans if sugary cereals are healthy breakfast, they will think so. Some think candy is food.

Unfortunately, a large portion of expenses goes for sugary drinks (see research below)... expensive and not necessary that likely lead to other medical costs.

Many beneficiaries are fat or obese, 50% of americans are fat... due to excess sugar and consumption. A good portion of those I've seen at pantries know they are diabetic or pre diabetic. In USA, sickeness, is an epidemic... largely curable.

Nobody likes to hear "cut back" or change, but that is what should be done... especially when we have to borrow to do so.

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/07/19/what-the-data-says-about-food-stamps-in-the-u-s/

https://epicforamerica.org/social-programs/here-is-what-food-stamp-recipients-buy/

A video of some of the hazardous foods in our food supply that we'd think are "healthy".

Yes

No

Don't care

[purplepoppy]

I know from speaking to people who work at food banks in the UK they struggle to give people vegetables because they only want microwave meals. Some will look at a carrot and say they don't what to do with it.

But i think it's worth remembering that welfare isn't for the recipients benefit. Welfare exists so employers can pay shit wages, welfare benefits your boss so you shouldn't feel ashamed to claim it if you're on a low wage.

Personally as a leftwinger I'd say just have prepacked baskets in shops of misshapen veg and offcuts of meat. We throw away colossal amounts of food because its the wrong shape so feed it to the poor.

[Nikki1989]

I always thought that was the way it was already.

[FunkyMonkee]

A lot of stuff I eat I HAVE to chase with root beer! Pretty much anything else either gives me acid reflux or the Hershey squirts!
And, if I can just take money off the card and use that for the root beer, what's the difference?

[lightbulb27]

Id question what you eat and Id question the situation of your stomach and the real cause of that acid reflux, given your age. I've been around that loop and it's a sign to make changes else bigger consequences down the road. When you go to the Dr eventually, they will tell you to take a magic pill. Don't do that, make the changes now and avoid the later consequences.
Its a valid point we are all different though. I know of no human that should drink soda over water. but you may need more acid in your stomach. I can only guess you are consuming too much fried fatty stuff, pizza, tomato sauces.

[FunkyMonkee]

Water causes acid reflux! Last time I had it, it nearly killed me!! Burned the shit out of my throat and started going into my lungs and I nearly suffocated!!
Root beer makes things go down and is kinda like Pepto-Bismol. Water makes things in my stomach float and if I lay down a while after eating I get reflux!! The one or two glasses of root beer I have per day ain't gonna kill me!
And, the only things I have tomato sauce with are mini ravioli, Spaghetti-O's and pizza. I rarely have pizza more than once a year and the others I only have maybe twice a month. Every 2 or 3 years, I might make pizza-burgers.
I have nothing to fry anything in.
About the only fatty thing I eat is potato chips and I hardly ever have those.

[DryGermanGuy]

To be honest, I was rather baffled to learn that this is not already the case. 😐🤷‍♂️

[lightbulb27]

you need to come to america... so you can puke at the sight of what you see and go home and be thankful.
You know whom our god is... MONEY... Corporations are it's deliverers.
You'll never ever see an advertisement on any of our big shows to eat carrots or saukraut! There's no $ in it.

[DryGermanGuy]

Of course, no surprises here. I remember an initiative for healthier school meals during the Bush jr. presidency. It was torpedoed by every lobby group imaginable, ostensibly because "muh freedom!". The results of that freedom can be seen in the various fat-camps needed for young people, including the military. Our German school food was certainly far from gourmet, but we had exactly one fat kid in the whole class level (~100 children).

[lightbulb27]

yes! as did Michele Obama... and she ended up caving to the industry groups.
If you can see this angle, you understand more how some people actually... gritting teeth..."like" Trump. He's one of the few that can go against these industries... and has, not enough... a long ways to go. If only he turned more of the rath inwards... USA is the problem we need to solve. It's "ok"... maybe... if people make good choices. But honestly, even the good choices are hard to make because we so poison our food supplies... like Potassium Bromate which Eu banned, just example.. Our desserts are garbage if not poison. Foods iradiated, etc etc..

I 100% support EU telling USA to F off when comes to protecting their food supply. USA is a mess in various ways... before trump showed up.

[Ariesman81]

They'd eat better than most taxpayers. Give them MREs.

[lightbulb27]

those are pricy, but maybe...
Id favor soup kitchens held to high standards.

[Ariesman81]

Alright, but no noodles. Don't want them getting comfy.

[Mike_Whocheese_Harry]

1000%. Should be used for fresh meat, dairy, vegetables, and fruits only.

[Hellraiser1984]

@Mike_Whocheese_Harry when you go grocery shopping do only buy those things? Does anyone tell you what can and can't buy for food? Who does it hurt if someone buys a 12 pack of pop? People should be able to buy what they want to eat and drink with their food money. It hurts no one.

[Mike_Whocheese_Harry]

@Hellraiser1984 No I don't. But you know what else I do? I buy my groceries with my money that I earn. I don't take taxpayer money to do it. If you want a 12 pack of sugar water, do it on your dime.

When you expect me to pay for you food you have to abide by what I think you should have.

Cause when that soda gives you the beetus you'll be whining to me to pay for your medicine, too.

[lightbulb27]

@Hellraiser1984 I agree with what you said but you said the key word "their money". It is not their money, it is borrowed money from the tax payers.
If I borrowed your money for food and went out and bought something you don't agree with, it be a problem.
Pop... is not food... much of it is poison. People are permitted to buy it because that's our society..."caveat emptor". But no way should obese people without money borrow money to buy junk. It makes no sense.
The only value I see in this is to ensure such people remain enslaved to remain voters of a specific party and feed the medical establishment.
I cannot understand anyone that says "such people should consume the most healthy nutritious we can provide". Whom would oppose that?

[Love_Guru]

@Hellraiser1984 “It hurts no one.”
It hurts those who consume that junk and taxpayers who have to pay their medical bills.

[Love_Guru]

Yes, I agree. However, quality food is more expensive than junk food, so the value of food stamps should have increased accordingly. Spending tax dollars on the poor rather than sending $30 billion to Ukraine is a bit radical, I know.

[goaded]

How about Trump's $40 billion for Argentina, who aren't defending democracy?