Reason – Do Poor People Ignore the Government’s Dietary Advice Because They Can’t Afford Healthy Food?:
Although price matters, a diet that complies with the government’s guidelines is readily affordable—a fact that even the eager food nanny Mark Bittman recognizes. Bittman conceded in a New York Times column last fall that “it isn’t cheaper to eat highly processed food,” saying people who claim “junk food is cheaper than real food” are “just plain wrong.” True, that was just two months after Bittman advocated government subsidies for dried legumes, one of the cheapest foods on the planet, in the name of “making healthy food more affordable.” But if a fussie foodie like Bittman can see the reality that is on display every day at the local Walmart, there may be hope for public health researchers who insist that people prefer French fries and ice cream because they’re cheap.
Previously – The War on Food Poor People Eat
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Havng been poor, and eaten government cheee, I dont think government provided food is the answer. The same years we had food stamps we had a small garden and fruit bearing trees. It was not uncommon to have a meal made up of mostly blackberries, walnuts, other dried fruits, milk, bread, garden veggies and eggs from our chickens. Today blackberries and walnuts are considered Superfoods. We just knew that we could pick them on our property for free. Cheap unhealthy food is mass marketed to the urban poor everywhre you look for huge corporate proffit. If everybody had someone at home to budget and shop and cook balanced meals our people would be healthier. Also, WIC does a good job marking affordable healthy foods on supermarket shelves. But nobody is at home to do this anymore