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

The author calls it shocking. I'm not too surprised by it myself, though. What kind of people end up on SNAP? Probably a lot of impulsive, irresponsible types who don't (to some extent can't) manage money responsibly and hold down a job. People like that will also tend to favor junk foods over the less pleasurable healthy stuff, and yes, that means they're also being subsidized on the responsible tax payer's dime for health care under 0bamacare. Anyway, to the story:

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

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.
Continue reading the main story

 

That is a beef I do have with the so called food stamp program.
Many states had/have a WIC program. Woman/infants/children, where they receive coupons for them and pregnant women also.
The program restricted what foods could be purchased in that program to healthy foods only.
The SNAP or other food stamp program should have the same restrictions.
Perhaps a small separate gratuity for a special splurge item 1 or 2X per month. IE, chips/soda/ etc.

 

Most EBT card holders are underage . Children who go into dairymart ,get a big gulp and swipe their card. Why do children have EBT cards at all? You should have to be an adult as adults are more likely to make good decisions about nutrition.
I do agree that sugary drinks and salty snacks are not food and should not be allowed. But the corporations who produce these products fight tooth and nail to sell them to EBT bearing customers. So the problem is with them. The problem is that our grocers hardly sell food. They sell junk.

 

Here is the real reason why...

This is from Harlan County, Kentucky, deep in Trump world, where the population is 98% white.

http://theweek.com/articles/452321/appalachia-big-white-ghetto

 

Actually, the SNAP program does have such restrictions. Contrary to many people's suppositions, you can't buy fast food with an EBT card, and there are quite a few items in the grocery store that an EBT card can't be used for either.

I was on the program for a while when I lost a 1099 gig job and could not collect unemployment while I was looking for something else. We managed to feed ourselves quite well (healthily that is) on the allowance, which, while not particularly generous, was good enough for us and helped us over a rough patch.

Which is what it is intended for, as well as aid to the chronically poor in areas where there are no jobs, or folks who can't work for physical reasons.

 

Many seniors also get food stamps.. Not large amounts.. Some as little as $20 a month.. some as much as $70. Its a godsend to them.

 

One interesting, at least to me, thing to take note of that is a lot of very poor areas there is no large supermarkets and that can restrict and limit what the poor can buy without a car.

 

Wait...so we taxpayers are funding an unhealthy lifestyle only to be forced to pay for their health insurance?

 

I have no idea what food stamps are (we don't have anything like that here, only ordinary welfare payments), but I can't imagine wanting soda on a regular basis. I drink that stuff about once a year, and always at someone else's house. We've never bought it.

 

This isn't news to me. Anytime I am in my small town grocery store, it's easy to see which ones are SNAP payers. Large carts full of soda, frozen pizza, chips, etc. then after they pay for the food with the SNAP, they use their cash to pay for the cigarettes. I know not 100% are like this, but it's no secret that many are and it's because it's allowed. The food stamp program needs to be revamped. It needs to be slightly uncomfortable instead of allowing them to get whatever they want with free money. It would be good to go back to commodities where they get the very basics that need to be prepared and cooked like oats, rice, cheese, canned meats, etc. If food stamps were more like that, you wouldn't have families making it a way of life for generations. They would work hard to earn money to pay for their own food.

 

Seems like I've seen other food sellers supporting EBT also. Not sure exactly what kind they were now, but it was something more expensive than typical groceries, something of a luxury nature, as I recall. Maybe even a restaurant? I see via Google that there are programs allowing EBT to work at restaurants, e.g. in goofy, wacko California (of course).

 

I see carts full of pop any time the store decides to send out coupons for it. They like selling those six-packs of tall bottles that way. At least it isn't always fat people buying the stuff But then, they could be buying for fat people who aren't in the store No idea how they pay for it, but I expect that more than a few use EBT, just given the odds.

 

I think the term is antiquated now, because what people actually receive now is a kind of debit or credit card that can be used at certain stores for certain kinds of items. I'm not sure why we do that rather than just give cash benefits that could be used in any way - I guess because too recipients would spend the money on non-essentials, though they might also use it for bills if they could, I suppose. So yeah, not sure why we even bother with a welfare program that targets just food purchases like that. Maybe we should eliminate that altogether.

 

Correct and a past 62 it posts as cash on an ebt card.

Cheers

 

I'm actually on the EBT program(my moment of shame to have CP, to have tried for employment, only to not have a single employer hire me. I studied INTL business, flunked out due to non-related courses. But still, "some college" is presumably better than HS.) With my profound hearing loss, I probably wouldn't be allowed to drive even if my motor skills weren't deficient.

And public transportation requires money, so that's another thing against me as well. If it sounds like I'm complaining, perhaps I am a little. Because I expected more of myself, and more of what I believe my own talents to be. Little by little, I've revealed a bit of my RL situation to people on here, to profess that I truly believe my solutions to be for the best. As well as to face my own flaws and inadequacies.

Mainly, it's as Tom said. It's not a whole lot. Infact, my retired grandmother and I get a grand total of $171 dollars in food stamps. That's it, for a month. That's why, contrary to the article, we do go bargain shopping. I'm mostly a meat eater, with some vegetables added in and a few fruits. Predominately a protein type of diet but hey, it's worked for me.

(Oh and can't forget the pasta). As far as chips, soda, etc. Gotta have a little something, I'd DIE without my sprite lol(okay maybe not literally but still). and I love my ripple chips. But I only spend about maybe $5 or so on those items a month, not really anything big. I don't abuse something I have little of.

 

OK, I'm of a few minds on this issue.

In 2002 I became a foster parent for a ward of the state. Josh was 13 at the time.

The way the state covered the real costs was to issue me an ebt card and monthly place money on it. Part was "reach up" (340) and part was food (197).

God what a self imposed shame that was at first. Imagine me the manager of the local ski resort using "food stamps".

I got over it. Yes I purchased steaks and soda with the ebt benefits.

To those that think I'm wrong, eat me. Stand up and do the right thing. Few of you will.


Cheers

 

Hi, Tom. Stuart here. I'm afraid I have some bad news: Reality doesn't agree with you. These two establishments are literally a block away from where I live and after having read your post this afternoon, I thought I'd take a few pictures since I had to go shopping near there anyway:

 

People as a whole love chips and soda so why do we expect the poor to be different? Yea my tax money pays but I'm okay with that. If having a soda brings a tiny bit of happiness to someone then I can live with that.

 

That's also why US is one of the fattest and unhealthiest countries in the world.

 

I do not buy chips and soda and I'm using my own money. If someone needs EBT to feed themselves, they don't need to spend 10% of it on soda. Tea, kool-aid, water, would be a better option and would then leave more money for healthier foods that won't cause them to have health problems like obesity, cavities, and diabetes, which again our tax dollars will have to cover.

 

Maybe it is more because we sit around on our butts all day judging people over the internet.

 

But, but, aren't you one of those conservative who rant and rave anytime a politician proposes a ban on Big Gulps or proposes a soda(pop) tax?

 

Abolish food stamps and let them either fend for themselves or die in the streets.

 

Right, but they aren't expecting others to pay the soda & tax for them.

 

Hahahaha.. well said.