Posted on 11/22/2007 11:21:14 AM PST by kik5150
In this land and season of plenty, low-income and rural Americans continue to have difficulty finding healthy foods that are affordable, a new study finds.
One study shows that low-income Americans now would have to spend up to 70 percent of their food budget on fruits and vegetables to meet new national dietary guidelines for healthy eating.
And a second study found that in rural areas, convenience stores far outnumber supermarkets and grocery stores -- even though the latter carry a much wider choice of affordable, healthy foods.
"I think it's a matter of raising awareness among health professionals -- and that could be dieticians or diabetes educators or even doctors -- that when we typically give people a recommendation to eat more fruits and vegetables, that is actually so much more complicated in a rural environment," said Angela Liese, study author of the second report and an associate professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
"There needs to be some thought given to how do you make these recommendations," Liese said.
Both studies appear in the November issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, a themed issue on poverty and human development.
New dietary guidelines recommend that Americans eat nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, up from five servings in the previous guidelines.
Despite clear evidence that eating your vegetables can ward off heart disease, diabetes and cancer, only 40 percent of Americans meet the old guidelines and less than 10 percent meet the new guidelines, according to one 2006 study.
People with more money eat more fruits and vegetables than those with less money, research shows. In turn, poorer people also assume a greater disease burden relative to their wealthier counterparts.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Correct. Oatmeal and non-sugary cereals are the cheapest. Geeze, store brand corn flakes cost nothing. The same thing goes for fresh veggies like carrots,sweet potaoes,zuchinni etc. It doesn’t take a nutritionist to eat healthy. Just common sense.
>Rural Americans used to have G A R D E N S.<
Good point! What do they think all that soil is for? Mud pies?
During WWII we lived in the city and had a victory garden and a grape arbor. I live in the city now and have a garden, fruit trees and a raspberry patch. There is no excuse not to be able to grow your own veggies if you have a city lot. In fact, not far from me there is a communal garden for apartment dwellers. Or drive out to the country to pick and pay.
There is no excuse for empty shelves, and laziness is not an excuse!
And a second study found that in rural areas, convenience stores far outnumber supermarkets and grocery stores
Although I haven’t conducted any study, I’d say that relationship holds for urban areas also.
Community gardens have been established in many cities and more can be developed. This article is pure liberal welfare state BS.
Well, seriesly, it is a bit cheaper to buy Top Ramen than the veggies sometime if you don't know how to shop for the healthier foods. It's a matter of being able to set aside the time to shop for and prepare the food.
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/40dollarmenu.htm
Thought you might like this list! I have used this in a real pinch at times.
Money they urgently need for cigarettes, malt liquor, and lottery tickets.
We’d probably all be healthier if we spent 70% of our food budget on fresh fruits and veggies.
They could increase funds for food if they quit buying bottled water.
With some cornbread, of course!
“Rural Americans used to have G A R D E N S”
That is the truth, now gardens are more of hobby or “What Granny used to grow”.
I’ve lived in the Boonies, and their thrust is correct, there are very few Supermarkets and many times the local store has to be the Grocery.
But then again, a piece of paper, a pen, and writing down “beans, carrots, potatoes, salad greens, tomatoes” for the next trip to the store helps out a lot.
OT, but many people may not realize that Food Stamps can be used to buy seed to grow ones own food...that’s a thought..
About the only cheap food is rice and potatoes. Even chicken is getting expensive.
Usually, people with more money are smarter too...and less self-indulgent. Even more in control of their base instincts.
Even the local 7-11 has apples.
Yup. In my rural area there are two convenience stores and one supermarket. Two to one.
But I bet the dollar volume of the supermarket is many thousands of that of the two convenience stores.
Not exactly on the subject but rural Americans also used to have farms. I don’t get it. I buy a lot of yellow onions and now each one has a sticker on it that says it is from Peru. Can we not grow our own onions. Just my cranky opinion.
When I was a kid I hated spinach.
Now, I use it in all kinds of stuff. Love to saute some spinach and onions, then crack a couple eggs on top of it.
Quick and nutritious. Spinach is, just like eggs, one of the superfoods. Very, very good for you.
Peppers: bell, jalapeno, banana
Tomatoes: eight plants - early girl, big boy and a hybrid
Then in a mound of soil and leaves I planted 2 zucchini and 2 cucumber ... good eatin' and plenty to give to my neighbors.
Nothing like walking out the back door and picking a couple vine ripe tomatoes and a cucumber for a salad ... a couple of zucchini, a few jalapeno (to grill).
This is Thanksgiving Day
Oh sure, they can super-size themselves at McDonalds or Burger King, but can’t afford an apple or a carrot. Give me a break.
****
It seems murmuring comes natural to many in the journey of life but the just man strives to do the will of the Lord even if his fellowman has not yet arrived at the point yet.
Beatitudes
Meekness; Mercy; Mourning; Peacemakers; Perfection; Persecution; Poor in Spirit; Purity; Righteousness; BD Beatitudes
Love One Another, Judge not less ye be judge, Charity never Faileth,
Simple. Require all restaurants (especially those high-end ones the Hollywood elite, politicians, etc. frequent) to set aside 1/2 of their tables for low-income dining.
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