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In the Shopping Cart of a Food Stamp Household: Lots of Soda
New York Times ^ | Jan 13, 2017 | Anahad O'Connor

Posted on 01/15/2017 7:12:22 AM PST by Drew68

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 5 percent of the dollars they spent on food. The category of ‘sweetened beverages,’ which includes fruit juices, energy drinks and sweetened teas, accounted for almost 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blackpeople; blackpeopledrinks; crack; ebt; food; foodstamps; icedtea; icetea; koolaid; nutrition; purpledrank; purplefrank; ruffles; snap; watermelon; watermelonsoda
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Food stamp recipients spend our money on unhealthy food choices? Imagine that!

The only shock here is that the New York Times is reporting it.

1 posted on 01/15/2017 7:12:22 AM PST by Drew68
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To: Drew68

“The U.S.D.A. report found that milk, cheese, potato chips, beef, cold cereal and baked bread were among the top purchases for all households.”


I find this astonishing.

I raised a family and the only time potato chips entered the house was on a special occasion,as a treat.

What a waste of money.

.


2 posted on 01/15/2017 7:17:12 AM PST by Mears (")
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To: Drew68

It’s because these people have been forced (by the man) to live in food deserts where one can only buy junk food and purple drank. And weave.


3 posted on 01/15/2017 7:18:58 AM PST by bk1000 (A clear conscience is a sure sign of a poor memory.)
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To: Mears
Easily resold.

ML/NJ

4 posted on 01/15/2017 7:20:45 AM PST by ml/nj
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To: Drew68

The amount of stamps someone receives should be divided by the food groups and no more than a certain percentage can be spent on any one of them. Any and all junk food should be eliminated from the program. Personally I feel the program of issuing EBT cards should be replaced with food pantries where only bare essentials are distributed. Don’t like your choices? Purchase your own food with your own money like everyone else.


5 posted on 01/15/2017 7:22:08 AM PST by RU88 (Bow to no man)
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To: Drew68

They should only be able to buy a few commodities such as bread, milk, beans, rice, cheese, some meats, etc.


6 posted on 01/15/2017 7:22:48 AM PST by boycott
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To: Drew68

wawawawa what!! michelle O had no effect on her healthy food choices? Soda? the bodega trade off to cash and for cigarettes, lotto is big, beer, liquor, dog food. Please the NYT is worried about thier health how wonderful


7 posted on 01/15/2017 7:22:54 AM PST by ronnie raygun
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To: Mears

Most of the people getting food stamps get them because they have made a long series of bad choices.


8 posted on 01/15/2017 7:22:57 AM PST by marktwain
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To: Drew68
Back in the day schools had "shop" that taught practical skills like woodworking and simple repairs to boys and "home economics" that taught girls about the basics of diet, nutrition, and how to shop, prepare, and cook tasty and healthy meals for their future families. But in our oh-so-sophisticated world these practical skills have become something of a lost art. So this should come as no surprise.

The Trump administration has a lot of work cut out for it.

9 posted on 01/15/2017 7:23:34 AM PST by AustinBill (consequence is what makes our choices real)
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To: Mears

Another 40 cents of every dollar was spent on “cereal, prepared foods, dairy products, rice and beans

Number 1 they have their groupings wrong. That will skew the results. No way would I put dairy products, rice, and beans in with prepared foods and cereal. If they set the groupings right the numbers for their unhealthy choices would probably be higher.


10 posted on 01/15/2017 7:24:05 AM PST by sheana
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To: Drew68

“...said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. “It’s pretty shocking.””

She obviously doesn’t do much grocery shopping at Wally World or outside her upscale neighborhood’s Whole Foods.

Pretty much all normal people have been behind that woman with a cart full of sodas, chips and steaks who whips out her EBT card to pay for it.


11 posted on 01/15/2017 7:24:26 AM PST by VanShuyten ("a shadow...draped nobly in the folds of a gorgeous eloquence.")
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To: Drew68

Some small store owners scamming the system - family members collecting EBT, then using the money to buy sodas to sell in their stores.


12 posted on 01/15/2017 7:24:52 AM PST by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: Mears
I raised a family and the only time potato chips entered the house was on a special occasion,as a treat.

Families no longer have planned, healthy meals. And it isn't just the foodstampers. Growing up certain foods were reserved for special occasions. Typical times for special treats like soda, chips, etc. were family picnics, birthday parties, holidays. We had a weekly treat as well on Sunday nights. We were allowed a candy bar while watching Disney and Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. I recall one friend Friday at their house was pizza and soda night. Many of these habits have stayed with me. You still won't find things like soda or chips or candy in my house.

13 posted on 01/15/2017 7:25:04 AM PST by EBH (As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.)
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To: Drew68

The only thing I have used soft drinks for in the last 20 years is as a toilet bowl cleaner.


14 posted on 01/15/2017 7:25:20 AM PST by doug from upland (Are we dreaming or is Hillary finally really gone?)
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To: bk1000

“Food deserts” exist because every urban supermarket I see that goes up closes within a couple of years because they are literally robbed blind by their “customers.” But you have to understand. That’s OUR fault!


15 posted on 01/15/2017 7:25:26 AM PST by RU88 (Bow to no man)
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To: Mears
"...the only time potato chips entered the house was on a special occasion,as a treat."

Yup.

Still that way today.
An *occasional* summertime meal of deli meat sammiches gets a special garnish of B&B pickles and chips.

I don't think we exceed 3 bags per year.

16 posted on 01/15/2017 7:25:43 AM PST by shibumi (Cover it with gas and set it on fire.)
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To: Mears

Potato chips are delicious.


17 posted on 01/15/2017 7:26:55 AM PST by miss marmelstein
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To: boycott

Additionally, these items should be available only at government-run commissaries with hours between 5:00 AM and 11:00 AM so they have to get their lazy azzes out of bed and stand in line.


18 posted on 01/15/2017 7:27:03 AM PST by Arm_Bears (Rope. Tree. Politician/Journalist. Some assembly required.)
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To: Drew68

They left out chips.

I was behind a mother/daughter a couple of days ago and you couldn’t believe the crap they were buying with their SNAP card.

Two observations:

1. These people tend to be morbidly obese. No I’m not talking about a little padding but rolls regardless of age.

2. The are universally self-centered. At a busy time of the day they thought nothing about holding up the checkout line while the daughter secured four more rather gigantic bags of chips.

Disgusting people. Yeah, I know, there are some real cases of need out there. I’m not talking about the exception but the rule.

I would like to see who funds these PSA’s like the Food Council, etc. who bombard us with guilt driven radio ads telling us how many starving children there are. Bullshit. All of the poor kids I see afe fat and hardly starving. Wouldn’t surprise me if the food industry is behind a lot of this.


19 posted on 01/15/2017 7:29:42 AM PST by x1stcav (Leftism is like rust: It corrodes 24 hours a day until eradicated.)
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To: Drew68

20 posted on 01/15/2017 7:29:48 AM PST by dfwgator
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