SNAP benefits / what most people buy

[audretoburrito]

Hi,
No we don't have Aldi's around here. In terms of greens at my closest Walmart I can't say how long they'ed last as I don't really like greens and the few I buy I freeze lol.

Audreto

[patty]

Hi,
No we don't have Aldi's around here. In terms of greens at my closest Walmart I can't say how long they'ed last as I don't really like greens and the few I buy I freeze lol.

Audreto

That is what I love about being Starch Based, veggies are a condiment. Dr. McDougall is like Dr. Bob and Bill W. of AA. The addiction dominos stop with food and money. Success equates to eating starch based. That doesn't mean you can't eat vegetables, it is just your health is not limited to not eating them. The satiety from the starch allows the best revenge is to be happy and healthy from a culture whose mass weapon of destruction is SAD, the Standard American Diet. Our leaders stand on quick sand. Being Starch Based equates to Kindness which creates happiness.

Aloha, patty

[Dougalling]

I can get turkey at 77 cents a pound !!!

I can get a 1 pound of dried beans for $1.28 !!!

Something is very very very wrong here !

[StarchHEFP]

I can get turkey at 77 cents a pound !!!

I can get a 1 pound of dried beans for $1.28 !!!

Something is very very very wrong here !

But I bet you that the turkey's weight includes the bones, and the beans when soaked and cooked, add up to more "food" weight than the turkey after it's cooked! 1 lb. of beans feeds a family of 6-8 people along with rice, whereas 1 lb. of turkey would probably feed at the most 2-3 people.

[bbq]

http://activelivingbydesign.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Food-Systems-and-Healthy-Food-Retail-2_SCornell_HNF-Collaborative-Nov-2015-FINAL.pdf
http://www.ngfn.org/resources/ngfn-cluster-calls/assessing-food-hub-businesses/Wholesome%20Wave%20Toolkit%20frame%20slides.pdf

The Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program® (FVRx® ) | SNAP-Ed Connection
https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/materials/fruit-and-vegetable-prescription-program%C2%AE-fvrx%C2%AE

How We Work | Produce Prescriptions
http://www.wholesomewave.org/how-we-work/produce-prescriptions

Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Projects | Wholesome Wave
http://www.wholesomewave.org/our-initiatives/nationalnutritionincentivenetwork/currentprojects/fruit-and-vegetable-prescription-projects

Fruit and Vegetable Prescription® (FVRx®) Program — wholesome wave georgia
http://www.wholesomewavegeorgia.org/food-rx/

Nutrition prescriptions
http://whatworksforhealth.wisc.edu/program.php?t1=21&t2=12&t3=74&id=288

[MINNIE]

Hi,
No we don't have Aldi's around here. In terms of greens at my closest Walmart I can't say how long they'ed last as I don't really like greens and the few I buy I freeze lol.

Audreto

Audreto,

What about eating frozen vegetables from your Walmart? They are just as good, and maybe better because they are frozen when fresh. Also, they are often cheaper and there is no wsate.

I do agree with the others about this being a starch-based diet, with vegetables and fruits as an accent. Focus on the basic starches first, for most of your intake, and add the other stuff if you can.

But, If you ever do want to add greens to your meals, frozen is a good way to do it. You can add greens to a soup, stew, or pot of beans -you won't really taste them but you will still get the benefit.

Best wishes for healthy eating !

[Helpinghands]

It is my understanding that SNAP doesn't pay for prepared foods. Has this changed? And if not how is it possible to roll out anything in prepared meals healthy or otherwise for those on SNAP?

[f1jim]

I also may be misinformed but I thought most anything except alcohol & tobacco were ok.
f1jim

[wade4veg]

I also may be misinformed but I thought most anything except alcohol & tobacco were ok.
f1jim

Here, below, is a recent list... Does not include those roasted chickens you often see.. nothing "hot" except chili peppers and hot sauce.
However a refrigerated pre-cooked chicken that only needs microwaving would be acceptable.
Not sure if you allowed a "hot" roasted chicken to cool to room temperature, at what point (degree) you could purchase it with SNAP.
Of course a grocer would not be allowed to store it until it cooled off. That would fall under another set of rules from the health department who only want "hot" or "cold" chicken sold... Nothing in between.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items

[veg tom]

Its cheaper to eat starch based because you do not have to go to the doctor as much if at all.

[StarchHEFP]

Wow, I had no idea that it would require an act of congress to remove soda and junk food from the list of "SNAP" benefits. This is really, really wrong, and if they couldn't pass a healthcare bill, can't they at least remove all this crap from SNAP?

“Junk Food” & Luxury Items

The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (the Act) defines eligible food as any food or food product for home consumption and also includes seeds and plants which produce food for consumption by SNAP households. The Act precludes the following items from being purchased with SNAP benefits: alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, hot food and any food sold for on-premises consumption. Nonfood items such as pet foods, soaps, paper products, medicines and vitamins, household supplies, grooming items, and cosmetics, also are ineligible for purchase with SNAP benefits.

Soft drinks, candy, cookies, snack crackers, and ice cream are food items and are therefore eligible items
Seafood, steak, and bakery cakes are also food items and are therefore eligible items
Since the current definition of food is a specific part of the Act, any change to this definition would require action by a member of Congress. Several times in the history of SNAP, Congress had considered placing limits on the types of food that could be purchased with program benefits. However, they concluded that designating foods as luxury or non-nutritious would be administratively costly and burdensome. Further detailed information about the challenges of restricting the use of SNAP benefits can be found here:

Report -- Implications of Restricting the use of Food Stamp Benefits

Energy Drinks

When considering the eligibility of energy drinks, and other branded products, the primary determinant is the type of product label chosen by the manufacturer to conform to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines:

Energy drinks that have a nutrition facts label are eligible foods
Energy drinks that have a supplement facts label are classified by the FDA as supplements, and are therefore not eligible
Live Animals

Generally live animals and birds are not eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. Live seafood such as lobsters, fish and shellfish may be purchased with SNAP benefits.

Pumpkins, Holiday Gift Baskets, and Special Occasion Cakes

Pumpkins are edible and eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. However, inedible gourds and pumpkins that are used solely for ornamental purposes are not eligible items.

Gift baskets that contain both food and non-food items, are not eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits if the value of the non-food items exceeds 50 percent of the purchase price. To read our most recent notice about Gift Baskets, click here.

Items such as birthday and other special occasion cakes are eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits as long as the value of non-edible decorations does not exceed 50 percent of the purchase price of the cake.

[patty]

As long as they are eating meat, fish and poultry they still are hard core addicts. The rest would go into SOS Methadone foods, until starch based WFPBNO. As Dr. Campbell shares in "Whole" it has to be from the bottom up. The only law needed to be activated is 'Don't do anything to anyone else that you don't want done to you." And that takes self-governing. It is first then Light, the Perception and then Projection. When focusing on what the other (government) is doing you are in Projection. It is to ask for a shift of Perception, to return to the Light. When turning on the Light the darkness leaves. Focusing on what people eat, is like fat shaming. As Dr. McDougall shares it is the Food on your plate. It's the Environment:) outside in. The outside government is always going to be running amuck because it takes two to know not 2.

Aloha, patty

[StarchHEFP]

As long as they are eating meat, fish and poultry they still are hard core addicts. The rest would go into SOS Methadone foods, until starch based WFPBNO. As Dr. Campbell shares in "Whole" it has to be from the bottom up. The only law needed to be activated is 'Don't do anything to anyone else that you don't want done to you." And that takes self-governing. It is first then Light, the Perception and then Projection. When focusing on what the other (government) is doing you are in Projection. It is to ask for a shift of Perception, to return to the Light. When turning on the Light the darkness leaves. Focusing on what people eat, is like fat shaming. As Dr. McDougall shares it is the Food on your plate. It's the Environment:) outside in. The outside government is always going to be running amuck because it takes two to know not 2.

Aloha, patty

Very nicely said. That's why it's great that places like Cook County Dept. of Public Health are sponsoring plant-based nutrition seminars where most of their public workers attended! And, they put all the lectures online for all to view, free of charge. I hope this becomes an annual occurrence. We need to do a better job as doctors to help educate the public that they can eat healthfully and cheaply, put money back in the pocket, and reduce absences from work, illness, and money spent on medical care!
http://www.cookcountypublichealth.org/healthy-hotspot/food-summit-2016

Everybody watching this feed, please immediately look up your local public health department, and urge them to disseminate this to all their workers, and put a link to the above presentations on their websites and social media feeds. Along with public health TB surveillance, foodborne illnesses, Zika, etc. don't we need to look at the biggest "foodborne illnesses" immediately that kill so many every day?

Plant Pure Nation is working on making their ready to heat and eat meals available to those on SNAP benefits, for their cost, which would be about 1/3 of the retail price. Many lack basic food preparation resources and this would reduce the fast food runs in the population. Plus, less cash spent and more SNAP dollars would be spent! We can't just keep waiting on our government to solve our problems.

Another initiative in Chicago, is the Genesis129.org project in which Reverend Elleven who is trained in Food for Life, will deliver FREE OF CHARGE, the WHOLE FFL program from PCRM to any house of worship who is interested (limited to 4 per year). He's starting out with the DuPage UU Church in Naperville, IL next week (Tuesday). So if you are in the Chicago area, come on down Tuesday evenings in April!

Spread the word, and have a side of plant-based "health" with the "hallelujah".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0x-M5iFdWc

[patty]

I ordered a used copy of Dr McDougall's Digestive Tune-Up to leave in our laundry room book shelf. On the news there was a story of a family who put a box of books and a sign in their yard offering them to be bowered. I give books out to my Clients and Dr McDougalls Digestive Tune-Up is a great introduction to this lifestyle. And if someone in my building catches the message great. I will do it every so often.

Aloha, patty

[rice22]

I think is cruel for members of this group to participate in poor-shaming. Unless you have been poor enough to need and use the SNAP program, you should not deride those who are. If doctors and physicians, nutritionists, and other healthcare professionals with their large salaries and multiple years of education are not knowledgeable enough to know how to correctly feed the human body, why should you expect poorly and under-educated poor people to know about nutrition?

Shame on you for poor shaming!

I apologize if this thread was perceived as "poor shaming" as I thought the discussion here was very productive and respectful. Being an immigrant, we didn't come in dire poverty but had limited resources in the beginning. I remember eating a lot of rice, lentils, peas and potatoes, and chicken was only a few times per year. What the intent was that the food program (SNAP) does not have someone's best interest behind it, but every time groups try to "reform" SNAP it is met with vehement opposition. It puzzles me to think why are they covering things like sugar sweetened beverages when it is supposed to be a "supplemental NUTRITION assistance program" and there is no nutritive value in what people are consuming in SNAP.

I had a very productive meeting with the representative from the public health department, and she was very interested to hear about plant-based diets, and what groups like PPN are doing to bring plant-based ready to serve meals (at cost) to underprivileged communities. I know it is very important to be humble, empathetic especially when dealing with sensitive issues like poverty and I'm sorry if it came across as elitist. I find McDougallers to be the opposite of elitist because what they eat is basic subsistence food the way it has been eaten through world wars, and the great depression. In lean times, starch is the most bang for the buck.

As far as what to feed the human body, I am very humble and acknowledge that what I have learned in residency and med school has been all wrong. I rely on the grandmothers/grandfathers of the underprivileged to tell the younger folks how to stretch a dollar and to live simply and healthfully, because about 60-70 years ago without government programs, people ate a lot of rice, beans, potatoes, greens, and oatmeal. People had their own gardens if they had the room and land. There was no processed food or fast food, and no supplemental nutrition assistance program. I'm not an advocate of doing away with SNAP (although current leadership might drastically reduce it) but rather, I'm a fan of making SNAP policy match at the very least the healthy eating plate approved by the USDA, in which there is no place for junk foods and soda.

Thank you for your attention, and for keeping us humble.

First even if it's called Supplemental for MANY people receiving it it's 100% of their food budget. Go to a 24 hour store like Walmart at 1AM EST the calendar day the allotment comes out.

Second it's much more than just restricting soda and junk food. People need frequent access to healthy food for sale. When you take a taxi to a store once a month and the potatoes they are selling are already sprouting what do you do? You can't just go hop over to the next store or go back when the truck comes in again. It's not a matter of just spending more on food it can be impossible.

Borrow two pre-schoolers, walk about 4 blocks then take 2 buses to a grocery store (one-way) and come back with enough to feed everyone for the week. Play the "How much can I fit on the stroller handles" or "I hope I don't get the nasty driver who gives me a hard time about having more than two bags" or "Broken laundry cart" game. Again this is at the store that just may or may not have descent potatoes. You need to keep everyone safe too. Traffic is not considerate to walking moms with kids.

People need equipment to prepare and cook it. I would love an Insta-Pot but I don't have enough rent money so I'm not buying a kitchen appliance. I need a 4 qt saucepan for cooking lentils. To grind whole wheat for bread you need an electric wheat grinder. You need containers to store grains in. You need counter space and energy to peel produce.
I'm not saying nothing can be done. You can buy a brand new cutting board, a pairing knife, and a few plastic containers for storage at Dollar Tree every single month that go a long way for fruit and veg prep. I'm just trying to point out some obstacles.

I for one have bought A LOT of Coca-Cola with food stamp benefits. It kept me alive when I was very ill with pneumonia for months. I would have a period of apnea then I would cough until I vomited all day and rarely slept at night. I suspect I started out with pertussis because after 4 months the cough until I vomited lessened and then stopped. I'd rather drink syrup than need to be hospitalized for supportive care and my child have to stay with another family. The tax payer we poor are beholden too should be thrilled their cost of providing me soda was a lot less than a hospital stay.

Now you are homeless without a place to cook, wash, or store food. You don't have a car. What do you pick out to eat at a gas station?

I'm with you on we need more education and that dry foods like rice and beans are inexpensive. It's more complicated than banning a certain product. I don't know why soda is the black sheep and not the million other junk foods like white flour HFCS baked or fried products.