In the Shopping Cart of a Food Stamp Household: Lots of Soda

[philosslayer]

What do households on food stamps buy at the grocery store? The answer was largely a mystery until now. The United States Department of Agriculture, which oversees the $74 billion food stamp program called SNAP, has published a detailed report that provides a glimpse into the shopping cart of the typical household that receives food stamps.

The findings show that the No. 1 purchases by SNAP households are soft drinks, which accounted for about 10 percent of the dollars they spent on food. “In this sense, SNAP is a multibillion-dollar taxpayer subsidy of the soda industry,” said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. “It’s pretty shocking.”

For years, dozens of cities, states and medical groups have urged changes to SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to help improve nutrition among the 43 million poorest Americans who receive food stamps. Specifically, they have called for restrictions so that food stamps cannot be used to buy junk food or sugary soft drinks.

But the food and beverage industries have spent millions opposing such measures, and the U.S.D.A. has denied every request, saying that selectively banning certain foods would be unfair to food stamp users and create too much red tape.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/13/well/eat/food-stamp-snap-soda.html?_r=0


I really did a double take when I saw this. Now the New York Times is shaming the poorest among us? I really don't see the point of this article other than to "remind poor people that they don't make good decisions. tsk tsk." Disgusting.

[demmiblue]

1. You're not fooling anyone. n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

7. Nope, they never have.

Transparent as glass...

[cwydro]

11. He's not even trying anymore.

Smh.

[dionysus]

122. did i miss something? oh well. whenever a rethug tries to say something about buying steaks with

food stamps or whatever, i always say go ahead, let them. with the paltry amount people get for food stamps, go ahead and let that person buy a lobster. after they miss the next 4 meals because they wasted that much on a single item, they will learn to readjust their priorities and make healthier choices. ifthey ever manage to find someone actually wasting money like in their anti-welfare fairy tales, i betcha they wouldn't find the person doing it twice!

besides, telling people what food they can or cannot buy is such a nosey, tacky, republican-y thing to do!

[etherealtruth]

18. Not for a moment

[LaydeeBug]

19. I almost posted the exact same thing, and that makes me think I owe you a coke

for the jinx, and then this is about food stamps being for coke. Oh, the irony.

[demmiblue]

21. Heh!

[philosslayer]

31. I'm confused

So you think shaming poor people is a proper response to less than completely nutritious food purchases? Do you not purchase an occasional soda or candy bar?

[etherealtruth]

35. I think the point is that no one is confused

[philosslayer]

36. Okay, just checking

Although I've seen several different opinions on the matter on this very thread.

[obamanut2012]

43. lolz

[obamanut2012]

42. Exactly -- and they never do

[Dr. Strange]

55. Except maybe the admin.

[demmiblue]

141. Not anymore!

[Dr. Strange]

142. Well, there you go!

[JI7]

60. yup

[Warren DeMontague]

76. hahahaha! hahahaha! hahahaha! hahahaha!

[CatWoman]

80. i heard this guy will perform at the Inauguration

[Warren DeMontague]

83. I'd laugh, but

I could see it. I think he's Russian, too.

[tblue37]

137. I believe he is dead, but in an interview I saw with him some time ago, he explained why

he sang that way--and also he seemed to be a very nice man.

[Eliot Rosewater]

78. MY first thought also.

The time some spend criticizing the poorest among us is amazing.

[flamingdem]

2. I agree that soft drinks are one item that should be restricted

because of the power of those lobbies, and because of the huge number of Americans becoming obese and diabetic. That is a top reason for the burden on health services.

[Jim Beard]

95. Thank you.

[Kilgore]

3. Since when is soda nutrition?

[WinkyDink]

106. Since when does anyone police what YOU eat and drink?

[Kilgore]

116. When they pay for it.

[Orrex]

120. If you receive any state or federal subsidy, then you should be equally restricted

Mortgage tax credit? You can't buy soda.
Any tax credits at all? You can't buy soda.
Unemployment compensation? You can't buy soda.
Federally subsidized student loans? You can't buy soda until those loans are paid in full.


The list goes on. It's a rare person who doesn't benefit from government largess in some form or another. But a certain segment of DU loves to beat up on poor people simply because their benefits are more easily quantified.

[Kilgore]

123. I completly agree with you

Gifts come without strings. Everthing else has conditions or strings, and most due.

As an example for mortagages, the interest it is not allowed as a tax deduction in some circumstances. For businesses, section 179 depreciation only applies to specific circumstances. For my kids, they can use their college fund only for tuition.

My point is that unless its a gift, the entity giving you the money has the right to set conditions for its use.

[Orrex]

124. You'd be ok with dietary restrictions for people who claim the mortgage credit?

If so, then at least you're consistent about it.

Of course, SNAP also carries a ton of restrictions already. For instance, your income can't exceed a certain level or you lose eligibility. You can't use SNAP to buy food at venues that don't accept SNAP for purchases. You can't buy certain foods at venues that otherwise do accept SNAP for purchases. You have to complete a laborious semi-annual review process to confirm eligibility. The list goes on.

SNAP is given for food purchases under tight restrictions. If a SNAP recipient wants to buy soda or cake or candy bars with it, then that's up to them. For that matter, SNAP recipients still have the option to use cash to buy whatever food they wish, even if they're holding a SNAP card at the time. If some nearby busybody wants to stick his nose in someone else's transaction, then that's the busybody's problem.

If the list of allowed foods is changed, then obviously SNAP recipients will no longer be able to use those benefits to buy such foods. But if we're going to pretend that "we don't want to pay for their soda" or whatever, then let's apply that restriction to all recipients of all government aid. Including social security, while we're at it.

As for anyone who thinks that SNAP beneficiaries have an easy time of it, I encourage those high-minded individuals to trade circumstances with the recipient for a few years. Chances are good that even those high-minded individuals will eventually slip up and buy something more extravagant than gruel and potted meat.


And, there's always this little reminder:

[Kilgore]

125. Thats absurd

Restrictions need to be related to the subsidy in some way.

Restrictions related to tax deductibility of mortgage interest makes sense. Tying mortgage interest to soda consumption does not. They are not even in the same realm.

Restrictions on SNAP to assure the purchase of nutritious food makes sense, nutrition is even in the name! Using the funds to but gullet wash and candy is not nutritious .

Your logic falls apart.

[Orrex]

128. Yeah, that's always the objection, and it's always silly.

Restrictions need to be related to the subsidy in some way.

Really?

My point is that unless its a gift, the entity giving you the money has the right to set conditions for its use.

By your own assertion, the lender can declare that the federally subsidized loan is due immediately and in full, for example, if the borrower irresponsibly buys a soda before the balance is paid off. Or that the mortgage tax credit is retroactively voided if the careless homeowner buys a candy bar.

If the goal is to improve dietary nutrition, then let's get serious about it and prevent anyone from buying such catastrophic products. After all, if the SNAP recipient spends actual cash to obtain a soda, people will (and do) claim that that's $1.00 with which he could have bought fresh produce, so he doesn't "deserve" that dollar's worth of SNAP benefitis.


As always, this discussion is an excuse to beat up on the poor, and it's always laced with bullshit condescension or scroogesque harumphing at their scandalous spending habits.

[Kilgore]

134. I guess we have to agree to disagree

I cant debate in the realm of the absurd.

[Orrex]

135. Strange, since you've been posting absurdities from the beginning

[Demit]

4. Maybe people are buying those sodas to resell, at a markup.

I used to pass people who stationed themselves at stoplights, selling bottles of water in the summer. Maybe there are places people can make a few bucks selling cans of soda, like parks or ballgames. Then they can buy more food, and with real money. Just a thought.

[Boxerfan]

9. Some people say thats a lie....

Just sayin...

Do NOT Shame here

[Demit]

14. What?

Why are you ragging on me? I'm not shaming anybody. I'm pointing out that there could well be a good reason SNAP people buy a lot of soda.

[Boxerfan]

20. I'm pointing out your not sourcing anything

And that makes it your opinion that people on FS are trying to game the system based on a perception that you have no actual facts about....

So don't shame Mk?

[Demit]

28. I was referring to my own experience.

And pointing out people who, in my opinion, were being enterprising. I don't think being enterprising—making the most of what you've got— is a bad thing. So please don't jump to conclusions.

[Boxerfan]

34. What your calling enterprising is a tool-or ammunition for critics...

And like I said-relaying anything that justifies the Republican position on FS is not what you should do when a Democratic member posts on the internet. I see lots of stuff I could make assumptions about-but I try not to do it in public.

[Jim Beard]

132. You can not get a soda in a public school lunch room. Don't like it call Obama.

[putitinD]

104. in Flint, they buy a lot of soda, because the water is unfit to drink!

[titaniumsalute]

139. Ok, why don't they buy water to replace water??

[titaniumsalute]

140. Honestly I'm not sure why you can buy any soda on SNAP

Soda isn't a food and as far as I know there isn't ANYTHING in it that is nutritious. I don't care what foods people buy on SNAP but I don't think soda should be one of them. Shit there's milk water, teas, coffee, juices, etc. All of them better for you than soda.

[TrekLuver]

44. This sounds really dumb and this is not happening in NYC.

[WinkyDink]

107. I highly doubt that. More likely, kids like soda.

[citood]

130. There have been instances where soda is resold

To small time convenience stores.

It converts snap to cash for the snap recipient, and the convenience store owner buys below wholesale.

Anything in this world can be abused...including snap. My stepson used to work in a grocery store and he said some of the carts filled with soda reached a level of absurdity - clearly more than one family would drink.

I'm not proud of it, but I have given money to people in need who double their buying power by buying snap at half price...meaning there is a seller and an underground snap market where it is sold.

Some people don't want to make the government 'bug brother' over people's nutrition choices...but they are putting their heads in the sand. This is about huge corporations and a steady flow of lobbying money. The primary beneficiaries are entities most progressives dislike - ie Wal Mart. It won't hurt to clean up the system a bit.

[yuiyoshida]

5. Don't Worry, the Republicans will remove Food Stamps

from Those who need it, because they would rather have you starve than be one of those people who are among those taking free hand outs. They despise that, besides, they are going to need more money for bullets, guns, tanks and Aircraft Carriers for the next war, and not to mention the build up of Nuclear weapons, which Trump wants to ratchet up.


So you can almost hear Republicans!
"Let those people starve to death! The military needs more bullets!"

[Boxerfan]

6. Clever way to shame aint it....

I buy "soda" for medical reasons s well as the normal ones. Not on Snap but SSDI...

My saliva glands don't function well if at all. None of the OTC remedies have any effect as mine is a plumbing issue from a tumor surgery.

I use soda water-flavored but no sugar to relieve the dry mouth & ick.

I have a huge cart full & because WM doesn't keep them in the bundles the person at the register has to scan each & every one-while people in line behind me flee or scowl.....

Don't judge lest ye be....

[Crunchy Frog]

54. I helped care for an elderly lady who was on SNAP.

She had gotten so sick that she had started to shut down, and completely stopped eating and drinking. They managed to coax her back from the edge, but for a long time, the only things she would drink were Coke and hot chocolate.

I guess some people here would have preferred that she die of dehydration, so that they can feel morally superior.

[GoCubsGo]

88. My grandmother went through something similar while she was dying of stomach and colon cancer.

The only think she could keep down was Twinkies, of all things.

And, my folks always gave us ginger ale when we had stomach issues. I still drink it when my gut is acting up.

[Jim Beard]

96. A doctors prescription could be written to specify the medical necessity .

[AngryAmish]

94. As does the vast majority of food stamp users.

The shaming is revolting.

[NightWatcher]

8. Grocery stores in poor areas don't have kombucha or fresh kale mixed green salads at the front door

They do have sales on soda every week.

There's nothing as depressing as a small poor grocery store in Dirt Farm Country, Mississippi.

Let's improve their situations instead of shitting on them for wanting a treat.

[yardwork]

30. Thank you. Food deserts are common in poor neighborhoods.

It's hard for people with higher incomes to imagine how difficult life is for people with low incomes.

[Berlin Vet]

68. Food Mirage

Saw an interesting article in the Jan/Feb issue of Mother Jones entitled "Lost in the Supermarket" that mentioned the Food Mirage. A Food Mirage is when some hip specialty food store or a Whole Foods/New Seasons market opens up in gentrified neighborhood. So the people that lived in the area before it got gentrified can't afford to shop in these new shops and have to go further out to find cheaper groceries. A couple of years ago Whole Foods opened a store in Detroit and the comments from some of the long time locals were along the lines that it was very nice but too pricey for then.
As to SNAP being used to buy soda (we called it Pop in Michigan), just look at a shopping cart for the average shopper in a Wal-mart. The vast majority of the cart contains soda, frozen, and processed food. You might see some fruit but not much in the way of vegetable (my own observations). Education is the only way to fix that.

[JNelson6563]

38. I think this is what it indicates most of all!

Stores in poor neighborhoods often don't offer nutritious food! I think this is what needs to be addressed. If only crappy options are available only crappy choices will be made.

[womanofthehills]

114. I live outside of a town of 1000 people

Our grocery store closed a year ago and it's 95 miles round trip to the closest grocery. So, the poorer people are doing their grocery shopping at the Dollar Store and our local clinic dr said the elderly are getting thinner. It's a sad situation. The food at the Dollar Store makes Walmart look like Whole Foods.

However, hope is in the horizon. We have a gofundme to open our grocery and we are close to our goal. The woman who will be operating the store, has a degree in nutrition and plans to have organic and non organic foods and prepare healthy soups and salads.

[JNelson6563]

115. So glad you have a good thing coming to town!

You should post the link to that page and see if anyone's interested in helping. I hope it goes well!

[mercuryblues]

50. I don't think

It is even a treat. A gallon of milk costs anywhere from 3.50 to almost 5.00 where I live, depending on brand. I can go into ant grocery store and get 2, 2 liters if coke for 1.98. If milk was 2 dollars a gallon and soda 5 dollars a gallon there would be an opposite trend.

[susanna]

111. THIS. n/t

[enough]

10. Maybe the point is we should be looking at the ways government policies

subsidize industries that make products that harm people's health and burden the health care system.

[Hekate]

98. Bingo

[brush]

12. And what percentage of our food budget do the rest of us spend on beverages?

I'm betting it's in the neighborhood of 10% so why shame snap buyers?

[mountain grammy]

27. and even higher, is my guess.

mixes for the liquor (not allowed on SNAP.)

[uppityperson]

45. Thank you.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

74. Ten percent? Not even.

My family buys soda when we have a gang of teens over. As a treat.

I do buy coffee (and make it myself), which isn't cheap, but it's not ten percent of our food budget. I buy tea bags and I make my own tea.

And I'm not poor, but I am frugal, and don't want my kids to develop a nasty habit of drinking soda all day!

ETA - I did grow up poor, and we had Kool-aid for an occasional treat or homemade root beer made with a bottle of McCormick's root bear flavoring.

[Drahthaardogs]

113. I am the same way.

Milk, coffee, and tea are all we buy. I make my own wine and don't drink hard alcohol. I don't buy processed foods.

The new generation makes me laugh. My son's girlfriend told us we were a little hoity toity because we don't use paper plates. I told her I am second generation of poor Italian immigrants. Paper plates and paper towels are a LUXERY. We were raised you don't waste money.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

138. I'm with you.

We do use paper plates for things like toast and sandwiches.

[Wiseman32218]

90. Exactly, we should not concern ourselves with the needs or desires of anyone on food stamps. Nazi

Germany would have cared but I think the families are capable of making their own decisions, not society.

[raging moderate]

13. I grew up hungry poor; no food stamps back then.

I have to support the poor people here. Yes, soft drinks are poor nutrition. Yeah, so what? So are most of the processed-food items the food Nazis would approve. My mother tried to keep us from drinking soda pop, but she had to work. My little brother and I spent the after-school hours scouring the alleys to find bottles to return, so we could get enough junk food in us to feel good about something. Being poor gives you so many bad feelings. My little brother cried himself to sleep most nights. To this day, I subconsciously ration the milk in my glass so I never need a refill.

Also, the guy who suggests that they are reselling most of these drinks is probably right, and good for them. That is the next thing my brother and I thought of, and we later ran a Koolaid/soft drink/popcorn/comic book stand in good weather, on the side of our apartment building. And after all, isn't free enterprise what the right-wingers think a truly virtuous poor person would do?

[yardwork]

33. My heart goes out to your little brother, and to you.

I'll bet you took as good care of him as you could. I used to look for spare change so that my sister and I would have lunch money.

[raging moderate]

47. Good for you.

Obviously, you took good care of your sister! I look at it this way: Yeah, it was horrible, but I made it. And sometimes, while I am bundling up food to give away, I mutter, "Take that, forces of darkness! This time, you let the wrong poor kid live!"

So you and I and others like us, we are winners.

[yardwork]

51. ....

[raging moderate]

69. ....

[underpants]

15. Read the whole article - its more about how SNAP buying is typical of all households

and lobbying by food and drink industries has stopped any regulation/policy changes.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

16. I'll admit, I'm frequently astonished at how much soda

is in a lot of the shopping carts I see at the check-out stand of my supermarkets. Sugary soft drinks are a terrible choice to drink, and the artificially sweetened ones are even worse.

However, I don't think micro-managing SNAP recipients is the way to go.

Soft drinks aside, I think one problem many of the very poor have is that they don't have much in the way of cooking skills, and aren't making very many things from scratch. It's a huge, complicated problem, and there's no one solution and no easy solution.

[Lib_tarian--ask away]

24. Ah, home ec

I took home ec for the free food (I could save my lunch money).

Oh, and I learned how to cook Tuna Tetrazzini.

[ismnotwasm]

85. Are you a Libertarian?

[Lib_tarian--ask away]

143. Imma *liberal*-atarian! n/t

[Jim Beard]

97. Skills or a place to cook.

Maybe a discount on crock pots so foods can cook all day.

[X_Digger]

103. In addition to skill, there's the matter of time.

Cooking from scratch takes time, consistently- something in short supply in many poorer households.

[eleny]

17. Yes, the problem is the industry which blocks tweaking the rules against them

Since nutrition is the basis for the program I have no issue with banning certain soft drinks from purchase. But the focus should not be on the program participant when issues like this arise. The focus needs to be on the industries that block decent decisions by legislators to keep the program on the intended track.

[planetc]

22. SNAP funds are already restricted as to what foods you can buy.

There are tiny signs all over my local food store about which foods are eligible for SNAP purchase. So choice is already restricted. I will go and read the article, but if SNAP recipients are following the rules laid down for them by the program, then I have no problem with them. If SNAP wants to change the rules, they're free to do so. Until then, I say Drink UP!

[raging moderate]

26. I wish I could recommend your post.

ALL of it! Thank you!

Besides, it is the rich people who are raking in the BIGGEST unearned benefits from the government. It is they who are emptying the Treasury.

[Freddie]

29. That's not SNAP, that's WIC

A totally different program for pregnant woman, nursing mothers, babies and young children. The food selection is highly restrictive and normally marked on the grocery shelves. It's a wonderful program because you don't have to a "that" poor to qualify. Estimated 25% of all baby formula sold is thru WIC.

[planetc]

49. You're right, it is WIC. But the article ...

in the Times implies that there are restrictions for SNAP use also, although they're not specific about what they are. The article says critics want to change the SNAP rules. So my remarks above stand: if SNAP users are following the rules, either change the rules or let them buy what they want.

[Phoenix61]

23. I'm not a fan of telling people what to eat

I'm sure their shopping carts aren't that different from everybody else's. That being said, 35% of American's are obese. The rate of type II diabetes in school age children is alarming. Cardiologists are seeing heart disease at earlier and earlier ages. The long term health care costs will be staggering. I don't know what the answer is but I'd rather see someone buying lobster with food stamps than soda and junk food.

[Yo_Mama]

25. Their tap water might be crap. Undrinkable. Contaminated. Turned off.

I'm not saying that this accounts for every soda purchase under SNAP, but it might account for quite a few, esp. considering lead contamination and the unpaid water bills in some major cities.

It is unhealthy, however, to substitute either sugared or artificially sugared beverages for water. If water filtration systems were offered for free under SNAP, or if food stamps could be used to pay for them, I wouldn't mind making sodas ineligible. If people really want the soda, they'll just buy other food with the SNAP benefit and use regular money for the soda.

People who are poor don't always have the opportunity for good choices. Part of these programs ought to be giving poor people the opportunity to make those choices.

[meadowlander]

86. Yes this.

Where I used to live the tap water was brown sludge.

It doesn't make good sense to buy drinks when the water is free and drinkable, but if you have to buy drinks because the water isn't free, and you're having difficulty feeding yourself, it makes more sense to buy something caloric than it does to buy bottled water.

On the other hand, I have mixed feelings because a lot of people are just addicted to soft drinks. My mom drinks nothing but diet coke - easily 10 cans a day and despite the fact that her kidneys are shot and her doctor has told her to stop. To me, it's a huge waste of money that is transparently making her ill but she hasn't been able to cut back or substitute with something else.

I would support not subsidising the soft drink industry via SNAP on the condition that we upgraded our infrastructure to provide high quality free water to every residence. Since we've failed so many of our citizens by not providing them with the basics in terms of potable water and access to affordable nutritional food, I don't think the place to start chipping away at the problem is sticking our noses in grocery carts.

[Yo_Mama]

32. Although the percentage spent per SNAP household was higher, lower total $$ spent

might imply that they are consuming about the same amount as most households in the way of soda:

Over all, the report found, SNAP households spent about 40 cents of every dollar at the grocery store on “basic items” like meat, fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs and bread. Another 40 cents of every dollar was spent on “cereal, prepared foods, dairy products, rice and beans.” Lastly, 20 cents of each dollar was spent on a broad category of junk foods that included “sweetened beverages, desserts, salty snacks, candy and sugar.”

SNAP households spent 9.3 percent of their grocery budgets on soft drinks alone. That was slightly higher than the 7.1 percent figure for households that do not receive food stamps.

Overall, 80% of funds spent on basic nutrition is not bad. And if you have kids, which most of these households do, they probably want a treat once in a while, and giving it to the kids might get them to eat the basic but not-so-appetizing healthy food.

[jehop61]

37. BS

[uppityperson]

46. GREAT graph, thank you

[deminwi]

72. Very informative

jehop61, thank you for sharing! This is incredibly interesting material.

[Wiseman32218]

136. Thanks for the link, glad some truth is available

[hunter]

39. The stuff is addictive and the manufacturers know it.

I feel somewhat fortunate to have grown up in a household where soda was NEVER available.

It probably wasn't because my parents worried about soft drink's nutritional value or our teeth, it was that they thought it a complete waste of money.

My dad always bought our food in bulk. After that there was no more money left for soft drinks. At the end of the month there would be rice, beans, fish in the freezer, bulk cornflakes, whatever we could find in the garden, and a few odd things in the cupboard.

And powdered milk. Man did we get tired of powdered milk.

In college I'd make buttermilk out of powdered milk. My roommates thought I was weird because I'd culture it on top of the water heater.

They were a little more understanding of my beer and wine making experiments.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/homemade-cultured-buttermilk/

[Jim Beard]

99. We didn't have sodas either, had to leave the house to get one.

[hunter]

108. My vice as a teenager was Taco Bell. Burrito Supreme and a Doctor Pepper.

But it wasn't often I had the spare change.

I'll agree with other posters here in saying that people receiving food stamps shouldn't have to suffer food police.

That's not going to solve the problem of poor diets.

We can't just teach nutrition in health class, we have to teach all kids explicitly how to achieve a healthy diet, including practical kitchen skills.

Children who have parents who are working more than forty hours a week, working all hours, may not have the energy or time to establish healthy eating habits. Some children have dysfunctional parents.

Hell, I had a frozen vegetarian tamale for dinner. A cold Doctor Pepper would have been pretty nice. A beer would've been even better, but honestly, I've become my dad. It's the money... and a bit of vanity. Not to mention my meds
.

[5X]

40. Soft drinks can stop hunger pangs..

know this from experience. If you don't have much money for food,
soda can make you at least feel better.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

41. Cost per calorie should be considered too, even if it's not a conscious decision.

Even Coca-Cola is "inexpensive" in terms of cost per calorie, and most soft drinks are far less expensive than Coke.
http://www.mymoneyblog.com/what-does-200-calories-cost-the-economics-of-obesity.html



A High Price for Healthy Food
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/a-high-price-for-healthy-food/?_r=0

Healthy eating really does cost more.

That’s what University of Washington researchers found when they compared the prices of 370 foods sold at supermarkets in the Seattle area. Calorie for calorie, junk foods not only cost less than fruits and vegetables, but junk food prices also are less likely to rise as a result of inflation. The findings, reported in the current issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, may help explain why the highest rates of obesity are seen among people in lower-income groups.

The scientists took an unusual approach, essentially comparing the price of a calorie in a junk food to one consumed in a healthier meal. Although fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients, they also contain relatively few calories. Foods with high energy density, meaning they pack the most calories per gram, included candy, pastries, baked goods and snacks.

[mopinko]

48. food stamps always were a subsidy to farmers and producers.

and...?

[Jim Beard]

100. That is why they are administered by the Department og Agrigulture.

Originally was supposed to be surplus agricultural products was the FDR program.

[hatrack]

52. I have one question only . . .

What is the percentage of food purchases that goes to soft drinks for people who are not on SNAP?

Oh, yeah, it's in the article - 7.1%.

So, SNAP recipients spend a whopping 2.3% MORE on soft drinks that non-SNAP recipients.

BFD.

[Turbineguy]

53. One of life's small luxuries.

A cold bubbly drink.

Bad choice? I don't know.

[lpbk2713]

56. Faux Snooze will call it 20%

Likewise on chips, candy and ice cream.

[Blue_Warrior]

57. I really don't understand why you would post this...

It seems inflammatory.

[jehop61]

61. I alerted it

but apparently, the jury thought differently.

[Brother Buzz]

62. Posting an article from the NY Times that shams the poor is inflammatory?

Did you bother to even read the OP'S comments?

[Blue_Warrior]

63. Trying to control what food stamp recipients can purchase..

Because we "know better" is insulting, belittingling, demeaning and shameful.

[Brother Buzz]

64. I guess you really didn't read the OP's comments

Here, I'll help:

I really did a double take when I saw this. Now the New York Times is shaming the poorest among us? I really don't see the point of this article other than to "remind poor people that they don't make good decisions. tsk tsk." Disgusting.

[Blue_Warrior]

65. He's being disingenuous.

[Brother Buzz]

66. So, like, you and the OP share the same opinion...

Am I to assume you are being disingenuous, too?

[Blue_Warrior]

67. He's shining a spotlight and then pretending to be on the side of the poor.

[JI7]

70. exactly. has been doing it and admin have no problem with it

[kerouac2]

58. #1: ALL American consumption is high. #2: Not all SNAP user purchases are counted.

#1 -- soft drinks are the most-consumed beverages by Americans, with an average of 44.7 gallons consumed per person, per year. Rounding out the top three is bottled water at 28.3 gallons and beer at 20.8 gallons.

These people are Americans. Why would anyone think they wouldn't have the same buying habits as anyone else. Not only that but, contrary to what some may think, people who get SNAP usually work 1-2 jobs. If they bring a lunch/drinks to work, they might want a soda with it. It's a whole lot cheaper to buy a 12-pack then buying them at a soda machine.

#2 -- More often than not, SNAP doesn't cover all the food/bev needs for a family. The Gov't isn't counting anything purchased above and beyond what they use SNAP to buy. And if there are children, then they might also get WIC. This would provide things like milk, eggs, bread and cheese.

These things alone affect any "percentage" value attached to these families. American, working families.

[appleannie1943]

59. How much do non SNAP people spend on coffee? Soda for mixed drinks and for our kids to drink?

I would be willing to bet it is a heck of a lot more than people on SNAP. So why the inference that people that are on SNAP are dumb and are taking advantage of the program for junk food?

[Raine]

71. I never buy soda, I think it's a disgusting product BUT if people choose to use their allotment

for soda that's their choice and none of my business. People whether on food stamps or not should have the ultimate choice of deciding what goes into their own stomachs IMO.

[KamaAina]

73. Mmmkay. And how much soda is in the carts of non-SNAP recipients?

If you believe that too much soda is being consumed, the fair way to combat that is with a soda tax like Berkeley has. So far no giant soda warehouse has opened across the Oakland line.

[Warren DeMontague]

75. 'Member the time "Food Stamp Households" took 12 Billion worth of taxpayer $ to Iraq in duffel bags?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/08/usa.iraq1

Damn you, Food Stamp Households!

[LandrosT]

77. So what?

Let these poor people indulge themselves once in a while. It's the least they deserve, especially considering the pain they will endure for the next 4 years.

[CatWoman]

79. you know

soda is cheaper than water.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

82. I think bottled water is cheaper at my grocery, at least the generic kind.

Hmm... maybe I'm wrong when comparing prices to the really cheap soda? I rarely drink soda, so I don't look at those prices as much.

Water obviously doesn't provide any calories to help people stave off hunger, though.

Good point! Some places have lousy tap water!

[Quayblue]

118. This!

And juice.

Looking in the market yesterday, Fanta was 6 liters for $3. 100% cranberry juice was $4.99 for 60 ozs.

[Warpy]

81. Store brand soft drinks are a hell of a lot cheaper than milk, fruit juice

and even drink mixes, especially the add your own sugar variety. In addition, a lot of kids out there are lactose intolerant and anyway, soft drinks are easy, just take out of the fridge and pour.

If this country subsidized fruits and veggies instead of the folks who make high fructose corn syrup, maybe poor mothers would make more nutritionally sound choices. For now, the choice has been removed by cost. Another factor is that poor areas are likely to have old lead water pipes, making the tap water less than optimal for growing children.

[aikoaiko]

84. I'm OK with restricting SNAP to WIC-like approved foods.

The GA list of approved items is decent and it would lead to more nutritious food getting to the poor.

[Jim Beard]

101. I agree especially with the young children.

[Warpy]

109. I'm not. WIC is especailly tailored to nursing mothers and children under 5

It's heavy on milk and a lot of kids over 5, especially non northern European kids, are lactose intolerant.

Besides, it's not a great diet for the elderly, who are especially likely to be on SNAP, too high in fat and sodium.

In addition, infantilizing adults by forcing food fads onto them instead of allowing them to choose just keeps them hopeless and angry.

[aikoaiko]

110. That's why I said WIC-like

The point is to constrain choices to more nutritious food - not necessarily perfect.

Do you think WIC shoppers feel angry and hopeless because the gov doesn't trust them to makes their own choices for their kids? I don't. I think the constraints on food are the least of their concerns when in poverty or near poverty.

It's not a big deal for me, but when the conversation comes up I like to remember that the N in SNAP stands for nutrition and not soda pop.

[ismnotwasm]

87. I should talk about some of the shit I bought when I was on food stamps.

It's been a lot of years, but damn--I regret those candy bars I got my kids--well no, I don't. But I really feel ashamed about those chips--whoops, naw. Perhaps that Birthday cake that was late because I couldn't afford one in the, you know mmm, actual Birthday...Nope. Not a twinge of guilt or shame. Boo me.

Or how about how I cooked those chicken backs I got at the food bank, or the frozen Salmon cakes or my great recipe for hamburger and rice with that cherry kookaid to wash it down with. Because if you are on food stamps--it's never enough to actually live on For an entire month.

[Doreen]

91. OK, I know I will probably get crucified for this but here I go.

I am on SSDI and I get an EBT card. I purchase meat, fish, vegetables, bread, milk, half-n-half, and fruit. I also buy soda sometimes, ice cream sometimes, and even cake sometimes. I do not get them as a staple but I do get them like any other average normal American. It is nice to have something nice once in awhile. I sure as hell can not afford to go out on the town or go on trips to the beach or to the mountains or to the theme park. My fun is stay home and watch TV, read, and be on the internet and occasionally have a snack. I eat pretty healthy food most of the time. I even "gasp" get Safeway organic milk and I get organics when they are inexpensive enough. As I said I purchase like most Americans in fact I will dare to say that from what I see people buy in the stores I do better than a lot and I try to do better not just because of my health but because I am aware that this food is provided by everybody else. Having been on both sides of the fence I understand the concerns because I have seen people in my situation who buy nothing but junk and you see the children who are getting it but I also know from my standpoint that I want to be as normal as possible and be allowed to enjoy occasional junk food and not be told just because I am disabled and poor that I am not allowed any thing nice.

[MADem]

92. Not by me, you won't.

I don't have a problem with any of your choices. I hope things get better for you.

[JI7]

93. anyone who complains about this is just an asshole like Trump.

and speaking of trump taxpayers end up paying a lot more for his failures than they do for anyone who needs food assistance.

[Orrex]

121. That

A thousand times that.

[Jim Beard]

102. I have no problem at all with what you bought and I am glad you had access to

those products.

[Kaleva]

117. I'm on SSDI and my food budget was $125.00 a month..

and that included what I got for SNAP which was $15. With that budget, I just bought the basics such as potatoes, cabbage, rice, rutabaga and other items when on sale or greatly discounted because it was at the best used by date. Chips, ice cream and such were not on my shopping list.

Not knocking you for buying what you do. Everybody is different. Just saying what I did as my goal was to reduce expenses and pay off bills, which I did, so I could buy other things with the $1158 a month I get.

[Doreen]

133. I know were not knocking me.

I myself receive $1120 and get $140 on my EBT. My rent is more than half of what I get even in subsidized housing and I have other out of pocket medical expenses and that is why I am lucky enough to get that amount on EBT. I tend to supplement my EBT card with enough of my money each month to have a $200 food budget. I have found that processed food is less but the problem with that is processed is what makes you fat so I buy unprocessed food and eat a lot less. My snack food is not something that happens a lot. We are all in a bit of a different situation but most of us find a way to make it work.

[WinkyDink]

105. As my late friend liked to say, "They should keep their snouts in their own trough."

[MineralMan]

119. Telling recipients of food stamps or other benefits what they must buy

or not buy with their benefits is paternalistic at best. At worst, it is exactly the same as saying, "You are too stupid to make decisions about food, so we will tell you what you can and cannot buy."

We should not be telling people who get benefits what they must or must not do with them.

[HoneyBadger]

126. The key is balance

Some soda is fine. And only I can say what is right for me. Frankly it changes from day to day. And there that never been a day where all that I had was soda.

[Horse with no Name]

127. for the small amount of our budget that goes to this

who the fuck cares?

Seriously.

It will cost more to manage restrictions on SNAP than it is to allow people to make their own choices.

[hatrack]

129. Gist of the article: people using SNAP spend about 2.5% more on soda than non-users

Last edited Sun Jan 15, 2017, 06:22 PM - Edit history (1)

That's it. That's the breathless expose. That's the 'Big Story".

Who. Give. A. Shit.