I just ran across two articles {this ONE and this ONE}, both published on the same day–and both, more or less addressing the issue of healthy food being available to everybody. I know that eating healthy is kinda big right now, and for good reason, with the whole obesity and diabetes epidemic. After reading both articles, it seems like there is a little more to problem than just having access to fresh produce and basic staples.
The first article started off by citing yet another article where one writer, Kyle Smith, touts McDonald’s as a positive presence for lower income families that would otherwise be unable to afford protein, etc. Smith describes the McDonald’s cheeseburger like this, “With its 390 calories, 23 g of protein, 7 percent of daily fiber, and 20 percent of daily calcium, available at 14,000 U.S. locations for $1, Smith argues that the cheeseburger is a boon for the American poor, who would never be able to afford the same number of calories if forced to buy vegetables instead.
He criticizes the ‘usual coalition of class snobs, locavore foodies, and militant anti-corporate types’ for heartlessly hiking up food prices through their activism.” While I totally DO NOT think a McDonald’s cheeseburger is a healthy choice for anyone, it kind of makes me wonder if that is how people on a very limited budget feel?
The article went on to say that while they don’t agree with the cheeseburger being a gift to the American culture, the system is oddly broken. It costs more to feed and distribute beef, but a cheeseburger is still just $1.00, while it costs significantly less to grow veggies, and they carrry a much heftier price tag calorie for calorie.
The second article explored the whole food desert debate {food deserts are pockets of the country that do not have access to healthy whole foods due to limited grocery markets, etc., but have plenty of access to fast food}.
They went back into places identified as food deserts that had had markets offering fresh produce, etc. open up in their area. What they found {it had only been 6 months since they’d opened} is that it had not really increased the amount of fresh produce people were buying.
Most people continued to shop at their regular markets {unless the new markets were closer} and continued with their regular eating habits. Some stores had found more success by offering classes showing people how to prepare fresh foods.
So, I guess the question that both of the articles left me with is: Do you think getting people to eat healthy is about SHOWING them how to prepare foods from basic staples, or about giving them access to more affordable staples? Maybe a combination of both? It’s the age old question, how do we get people to eat their veggies in a fast food world?
~Mavis
Jen says
This was a quick easy read addressing similar issues
http://www.dollaradaybook.com/
A big hurdle I see is getting people to understand that they can fill up quite easily on a small amount of prepared whole foods while getting a variety of naturally occurring nutrients rather than eating food flavored cardboard (basically) fortified with synthetic vitamins. It takes a while for the “I’m full signal” to travel from your stomach to your brain. By sitting down at a table and slowing cutting, chewing and eating your food over a 20 minute period will make you free completely different compared to quickly eating three drive through hamburgers while driving down the interstate.
Teaching people the relationship between food and our well-being is crucial but all is lost if we don’t teach people how to prepare wholefoods, quickly and efficiently. Meal planning is a must if you’re going to be able to soak beans for example.
I find it is easier, and cheaper, to make larger meals. I’m cooking for two and we can only eat left overs for so many lunches and dinners… I decided to share my meal plan w/ my neighbors and on nights that I have a lot of extra food they come over with a bowl (I cannot for the life of me make a small soup or stew) or plate and dish up for $5 each (main dish, side and a salad usually). They are stoked to save money by not eating out (fast food), not have to do the prep, the cooking or the clean up. I’m happy to share and their contribution helps me to buy in bulk and cut down my food bill even further. They eat with us about twice a week. It helps to share a bottle of wine with your neighbors before working up the courage to propose such an offer :).
This year we spent our tax return on a 8.8 cuft chest freezer (we live in a small apartment mind you) It cost $299 + tax and will cost us $31 a year to run. I’m already able to freeze some of our left overs which is saving us money and time and we’re only a couple of weeks in to the year. We’ve already made the purchase worth while with the excellent deal we got on 75lbs of organic grass-fed beef.
Once you start thinking along these lines, it’s hard to turn back! As I dig deeper into this life style the cost of food/our needs continues to drop and we’re healthier to boot.
I scene a blog in the making.
I just had to share, thanks for reading & good luck on all of your journeys. It really is worth the struggle.
Jen says
I should mention that both my husband and I were working and receiving the maximum amount in food stamps. We don’t have kids. We struggled and couldn’t get ahead. I ended up closing my small business and my husband switched jobs making slightly above minimum wage (excellent for a Master’s Degree eh?), around the same time we got off food stamps and are, at least for our standards, doing really well for ourselves (we had extra month to paint the bathroom so I’d say life is great). I’ve spent a lot of time and energy saving us money but it’s all beginning to pay off, quite literally now. I cannot believe how screwy our system is that we’re doing better while working less these days. So again, I saw knowledge is key!
Paula says
Education begins at home. Educational programs are a poor substitute for healthy habits taught at home. (I acknowledge that it doesn’t always work out despite a parent’s best efforts.) And speaking of educational programs, have you taken a look at the crap served up at most schools?
If you’re wondering why the “system is broken” and economics standing on its head, think “government subsidies.”
Beks says
You know, I’m the resident healthy eater of my family, and I’ve been known to wander down the produce aisle, grab something that looks interesting, and then have no idea how to cook it, no matter how many recipes I look at. I think it’s unfortunate that cooking is something that isn’t taught to children anymore, be it at home, or in home economics. My cousin’s exwife was proud of the fact that she didn’t know how to cook, and I think that’s disgraceful. It’s about knowing how to take care of your SELF, and in turn, your family. I have one cousin (the former sister-in-law of the anti-chef) who put it in her wedding vows to have a hot meal for her family at least five days a week, which I thought was admirable, though it hasn’t really happened because of a wonky schedule. But it all comes down to learning to take care of yourself. Learning to cook and keep house aren’t “women’s work,” but things EVERYONE needs to know how to do in order to survive.
Chris Durkin says
I think it’s a combination of education and cheaper staples.
One of the big issues here is that when you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck or working with a limited amount of cash, you literally can’t afford to think ahead. If I’m at the store and I see a 1lb bag of flour on sale for $1.00 and a 5lb bag for $3.00, I might be forced to buy the $1.00 bag even though the $3.00 is a better deal because I only have $2.00 in my pocket.
I know fast food isn’t the answer and I know it’s doing terrible things to our economy, health, and environment, but I do understand why a person might lean toward a burger that seems to fill them up instead of a salad that doesn’t.
Tisha says
I think our educational efforts have not gone far enough. We talk about vegetables being healthier, more nutritious but that is still rather vague. There needs to be education about what makes the vegetables healthier (for each individiaul one, kale, carrots, spinach, etc.) We need to know what specific vitamins and phytochemicals each has and then also what those do for our body (at times I have kept this information in a binder in the dining room and when we are eating that particular vegetable we can talk about what it has and what it does for us). Beyond cooking classes, there need to be free samples of veggies in the store too, prepared in an appetizing way (we already know it works for freezer goods at Sam’s). It would also probably help to give more money to the food stamp program to allow them to purchase more healthy alternatives as well. We should also not expect results too quickly, 6 months is not nearly enough time for long term results and for children, we have to realize some of their habits may change over time. My kids are exposed to healthy foods. My 2 oldest (15 and 12) are completely over cheetos and oreos, and prefer homemade goods but my 2 youngs will eat junk food any chance you give them.
Amanda Corvello says
I think you can provide access to the food all you want, but if the person does not know what to do with it they won’t buy it. Teaching the lost art of cooking well is as important as access.
Joni Fox says
I agree Amanda! I live in southern Maine and since I have retired I have some time to work on projects ….one of my ideas is to find like-minded people who cook with fresh foods, shop at the grocery store with the mindset that we are going to cook meals in advance, freeze some, etc etc, and take our knowledge directly to mothers with children and others who just resort to stopping at the fast food outlets because it’s easier, quicker, and will keep their kids from complaining….I want to actually start a “hands-on
” cooking-fresh workshop to show people that they DO have options….especially those on SNAP here in Maine. Teaching the lost art of cooking…homemade…and it doesn’t have to be that time-consuming….get your children to help you if they are old enough to be in the kitchen, and make it a family affair………I’m going to start looking for ways to get this going…….?? Anyone out there with the desire to help make this happen?
Pippa says
This is a very complex problem. Farmer’s markets are great places to get fresh food, but they are only open limited hours. If you are working during that time and you happen to live in a food desert you are out of luck. I was a visiting prof in Detroit for a year about a decade ago. Detroit was definitely a food desert. While they had a fantastic farmer’s market; it was only open a few hours a week. Other than that, your choices were drug stores or fast food. There was no other option that didn’t involve an hour bus ride.
Many people work 2 jobs to survive. They work all day, pick the kids up from school, feed them, then go off to their second job. I’m sure fast food is a whole lot easier than a home cooked meal when you are dog tired. Even at the grocery store, junk food rules when you have little money. Suppose you have $2 and 2 hungry kids. A big bag of chips will fill them up much better than anything you could get from the produce section for $2.
I think the idea of classes is great. With knowledge comes power. That’s what they are starting in England with the food banks. They teach budgeting and food prep and nutrition, etc. The people really have good things to say about it.
Michele says
Are you kidding me…a bag of potato chips to fill up 2 kids when their hungry. Last time i ate a half bag of potato chips, i was hungry an hour later. Chips are empty calories. They DO NOT satisfy hunger. They only make you crave and hunger more food. You have to shop smart. To o many people shop dumb. If you only have $2 to feed your two children, their are soooo many healthy options. I would buy a carton of eggs. Most grocery stores have the cheap ones on sale for $1. And if they are not on sale. Still, you would not pay more than $2 for the cheapest brand of eggs. Those kids could eat 2-3 eggs each and you would still have at least 6 eggs left for another meal. If you happen to get the eggs on sale. Buy a couple of potatoes, and microwave them. Their is your meal for $2. Thats thinking, shopping and feeding your family the smart way.
Aliea says
While I do agree with you wholeheartedly, Michele, I think the overwhelming consensus here is that people either don’t have the time, energy, or skills to plan the food menus, budgets, and shopping that stretches their dollar while providing true nutrition. I hear all the time that the most waste at our local food bank are the most nutritious vegetables. Veggies take time, effort, and skill to prepare. Additionally, if a kid grows up only eating food unwrapped from paper and plastic, they’re initially not going to like that freshly sautéed garlic spinach or that pot of simmering beans, carrots and ham. I’d like to see our schools and communities work with local restaurants and chefs to make better menus and teach simple, fresh recipes to children and their families; maybe hosting classes and a lunch at cost one day a week with recipe demonstrations, maybe something like Pippa was saying England has started at their food banks. Traditionally, a successful (good) restaurant is a thrifty machine utilizing fresh local produce and skilled preparation. Not saying every home kitchen can be a pro kitchen, but to take some of the basic skills and economic strategies and apply them would be a start. Lastly, I totally sympathize with your frustration in that I see a LOT of people at the markets and stores and in restaurants that make poor choices (for their kids, even!) more out of apathy and indolence than anything. You are very right in that a little effort goes a LONG way.
Aliea says
The critical issue is getting people to REALIZE how essential good nutrition actually IS. Most people simply don’t care and cheap convenience w/crazy fake ingredients and buckets of sodium win every time. : /
Vickie says
Junk foods contain sugars and simple starches (converted easily to sugar by the body), salt, and fats. These can trigger an addictive type of response by the body and keep you craving them. Also, our taste buds evolved to be sensitive to these to keep you eating these foods as a survival mechanism. Easy access to these types of food is now detrimental to our health. It can take many times of trying a food to learn to like it. It also takes 2 weeks of eating the same food to make your body crave it. Because of these things as well as fat making you feel full, and price, many people won’t eat healthy even when it is an option. Another factor is people might not know how to fix healthier foods in a way suited to their tastes. They might also be unfamiliar with the healthier foods and not want to spend money on trying something they might not like. Availability, education, cooking classes and samples combined are a great idea to get people to eat healthier.
Madam Chow says
I think that whole “food desert” thing is a big joke. At one point, I lived in one of the wealthiest communities in the country, and a grocery store was over five miles from my house. The closest food source was a 7-11. One hundred years ago my grandmother lived in what today would be decried as a “food desert,” yet she had access to and ate plenty of fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, and chicken so fresh she had to pluck and gut it herself.
That aside, people eat what they want to eat out of convenience and taste. Another friend lives in an extremely wealthy suburb outside the nation’s capitol. Two of her kids eat everything, including fruits and vegetables. One of them will eat only fries, chicken fingers, and Costco taquitos. She is a high income earner with a graduate degree. She is very knowledgeable about nutrition. So, in other words, she’s not ignorant, uneducated, or poor. And she feeds that child whatever he wants because it’s such a huge hassle to deal with him at meal times. And in case someone thinks I’m slamming her, she is a fantastic mother and friend who works her butt off. She has made the decision that his food is not a battle that she has energy for 21 times per week.
So, what does all this mean? Like I said, it is not always a matter of access or education. Junk food tastes good. It’s convenient. It’s cheap. That’s why people choose it. I think a way to start changing the trend a bit is to encourage gardening like you do. That is what my grandmother and all her neighbors used to do on their small lots. And for those people who live in areas where the local zoning board forbids gardens and chickens, fight them and vote them out of office if they don’t respond to community needs.
gc says
I agree with cooking education and access to healthier food, but don’t forget the “fast”. Sometimes (especially with kids) we just need something that doesn’t take time to prepare. We don’t eat much fast-food, because leftovers or sandwiches are our go-to meals when there is not time to cook. Education on meal planning (specifically using your freezer meal recipes) is also necessary.
leslie says
Look at http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com . She is doing just this- educating the country about eating raw, healthy, garden foods. Education is key. Showing youth how to cook these healthy foods is essential!
Carrie says
I grew up on McDonald’s and packaged dinners like Hamburger Helper. My parents still eat fast food and high sodium dinners and they make plenty of money to buy fresh produce and quality meats – it’s a convenience thing for them. The first time I had a fresh peach was after I was out of college – it was the most glorious piece of fruit that I’d ever tasted! Now that I’m on my own and struggling to keep the lights on, my partner and I made the decision to only eat out on occasion (about once a month) and we came to the realization that fast food is disgusting. I taught myself how to cook healthy meals and to garden. Some of our cheap meals are beans and rice, scrambled egg sandwiches, pb&j’s, and pasta with spaghetti sauce. In the summer, we have countless BLT’s and cucumber slices. Both components are needed if we want our nation’s people to be healthier; everyone needs access to healthy food and they also need to be taught what to do with it.
gina says
I have long thought that if physical education is required in public schools, so should be Family and Consumer Science (the old class we used to call “Home Ec”. So many young people have no mentors to even teach them to cut up a real chicken, scramble a real egg, what’s less do things like bake a loaf bread, or prepare garden fresh vegetables. I’m not sure how this message could be put out there but it is so true! I teach my own children to do these things but what about kids who don’t have people to teach them? Even if you are eating homemade cookies, pancakes, and other treats, they are SO MUCH better for you (and less expensive) than eating out. I am 40+ and lots of my friends don’t cook. My kids both took Family and Consumer Science as an elective in high school and they loved it! Kids + cooking + food + hungry bellies during the school day is always a good thing! Surely a required class like this would go a long way if they incorporated nutrition information, gardening, and cooking! It also might along the way enrich the family experience because the kids would be so excited to try out their skills at home!
Kristina says
I live in an area where most people are considered lower middle class to lower class. (A clerk at my local grocery store – the most expensive one in town, incidentally – tells me 85% of their customers are on food stamps.) What I hear from people is that they don’t WANT to eat healthier. They hate the taste of vegetables. They love their hamburgers and processed foods. They have no desire to change.
I do not believe education is the problem (although one has to wonder about a school system that teaches healthy eating but offers unhealthy school lunches…even to the point of calling reasonably healthy homemade lunches a bad thing, taking them away, and giving kids chicken nuggets instead: http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=8762)
I do think it would help if food stamp programs and local food pantries offered classes in how to cook healthy meals. Most people don’t know how to cook from scratch. (And, again, many people don’t want to.) And fewer still have ever tasted well prepared, healthy food. If we can get people to try – and like! – healthy food, then and only then can we expect healthier eating. At least, in my humble opinion 🙂
Marcia@Frugal Healthy Simple says
There’s a lot to take in here.
– There are food deserts in the country. 100 years ago there weren’t grocery stores, but people had gardens. These days? Try gardening in a 4th floor apartment.
– Fast food and snacks are convenient and don’t go bad.
– Processed food tastes good! It’s been formulated to taste good and be addictive.
– There just isn’t a lot of time. Hey, I’m an educated mother with two kids and a full time job. You try cooking healthy meals with a 2nd grader and a baby. I’ve just now got to the point where the 19 month old will play with his big brother long enough for me to chop broccoli. I make an effort to use the crockpot, cook and prep on the weekend, etc. But that is a CRAP load of work.
– People don’t know how to cook. I was born in 1970. My mom didn’t teach me how to cook, and Home Ec didn’t do much better. I learned on my own, in my 30’s, when I got too fat on fast food and my husband’s cooking.
We need access to fresher food. We need to stop subsidizing junk food with cheap corn. We need classes to teach people about nutrition and cooking.
Lisa says
I hope this doesn’t post twice, but the first time I messed up the email and sent post before I caught it!
Anyway, I don’t think you can teach them. They already know. And don’t care, or can’t afford to care.
They also turn it on its head and actually make it about race.
In Portland, OR Trader Joe’s wanted to build a store on long vacant property. The “leaders” of the area wrote a letter to the city, which can be found online. In short, they didn’t want the kind of people TJ draws in their neighborhood, of apparently “oppressed” and vulnerable people. They even went so far as to say they would oppose any development that didn’t “…primarily benefit the black community.” I think Trader Joe’s would benefit any neighborhood! I don’t personally like it, but it does have healthy food, and employment opportunities! They don’t want their neighborhood to become “desirable!”
Trish B says
Gentrification leads to skyrocketing rents, and drives poor people out of their homes.
Dian says
Just looking at the cost of food doesn’t tell the whole story since a small percentage of farms are subsidized with an average cost of $20 billion a year to taxpayers. This antiquated system distorts the real cost of our food. So what people think is cheap in the store actually carries a higher overall price to the consumer.
I do believe that education can help change how people eat. I grow most of my food using permaculture techniques and there are two things I learned that really help me. One is the saying start where you are, use what you have, and do what you can. The other is when you are talking to people assess where they are compared to you in terms of interest level, time, etc. before you share information. So if I if I have a friend who doesn’t even like lettuce, I wouldn’t suggest they make kale chips. I would tell them about grating vegetables really small and adding them to spaghetti sauce or scrambled eggs so they can slowly change their taste buds.
I am passionate about sharing my love of healthy eating and gardening so I am always giving things away to neighbors, friends, relatives, the dentist, my doctor, the UPS store, the crossing guard, the mailman, the Fed Ex driver, and people at my aerobics class. I make fresh greens bouquets and tie them with jute, eggs from my chickens, bags of fruit, basically anything that is ready to harvest. If people show interest and say they would like to grow something, the next time I see them I give them a mini manilla envelope with seeds, and growing directions, or a potted plant. I also take samples of unusual things I grow for them to try. If they have kids I print out the list of fun things to grow from food purchased at the store, like garlic greens from heads of garlic. If they have never grown anything or have no space I give them a mason jar and some seeds for sprouts. The idea is to get people involved and excited at the level they are ready for.
pam says
The FOOD STAMP program needs to change their stance on allowing fast food joints to accept food stamps. period………….
and the food banks should show/teach how to cook with ‘real’ food….or do they even have it?
Anyway, when I was on food stamps back in 1972 as a single mom, you could only use them at a grocery store…period…and for only food items…period…….just saying
Jen says
What state do you live in? I’ve never heard of food stamps being accepted for fast food.
Yankeegal says
You can buy booze with the EBT card/food stamps here in Maine. Our governor just tried to make it illegal to do so, but the legislature voted it down. I wish that food stamps were handled more like the WIC program. Specific lists of food items to be purchased-could be modified to each family’s need.
pam says
The FOOD STAMP program needs to change their stance on allowing fast food joints to accept food stamps….period….
the food banks should show/teach how to prepare fresh food, fast and easy.
I too was a mom and wife of 2 kids, working 2 jobs, and we thought it was cheaper in the long run to cook at home rather than buy fast food.
pam says
ok, I’ve tried posting 2x and it’s not appearing here….not sure why?
pam says
3x now I’ve tried posting….something must be wrong with the website?
sclindah says
I don’t think that making sure there are no food desserts are the answer. Most people just don’t know how to cook from scratch or cook using whole foods. I have a huge garden and have a son living nearby with a young family. They will come and pick strawberries but don’t want a lot of the vegetables I have and these are fresh and organic! It’s terribly sad to me that they pass this by so the kids can eat prepackaged food that is so much lower in nutrition. Others I’ve offered food to just don’t know how to use it even though I’ve offered to teach them or give recipes. It’s very discouraging as I really worry about our food quality, how far it all travels, etc.
Heather says
I think it is a combination of both. Our daughter is in college. A couple of her roommates were never taught to cook so they are surprised when she knows how to make a good meal that doesn’t cost a lot (sometimes mostly rice and beans). Their way of ‘saving’ money is to run to McDonald’s, etc for a meal. So even though the roommates have a car this year so it is easier to buy food at the store they aren’t really buying anything except prepackaged meals since they don’t know how to cook.
sheila says
The whole “eating healthy is expensive” theory is nonsense. As a mathematician, I know numbers can be skewed to prove whatever you want them to. I suspect all the studies refer to cost per calorie which has no bearing on how healthy a food is. You can buy a lot of potatoes for the same price as a few servings of french fries. Not to mention rice and beans and “basic” fresh or frozen veggies (broccoli, peas, carrots, corn, etc). Education is a big key, but an individual has to WANT to make healthy decisions. No different than going on a diet to lose weight.
Deanna says
Forget demographics for a minute. Rich, poor, doesn’t matter with what I am about to say: We are a society of fast. Fast internet, fast check-outs, fast foods. Whether you walk into 7-11, McDonalds or Whole Foods… they all have their version of fast. Some are cheap, like $1. Some are whole meals for $20 or $30. And guess what? You get it FAST. That is mainly what people want. Fast. Why? We are tremendously busy. School jobs, house, kids, etc. When my family has pizza night at the pizza place, it’s as close to a vacation as I have seen in awhile. I slave for my family in the kitchen daily. Why? Because i cook from scratch every night. (GASP! THE HORROR!) I do this because it is better foods going into our bodies. In all honesty, it doesn’t take a ton of time, granted I plan ahead and have the stuff on hand. Here is the real clincher: I have taught myself what to eat. I had never even heard of a lentil 5 years ago. Whole grain? I thought that was why I was buying brown bread. Fiber in veggies? I thought you took a pill to get fiber. (I swear, I am college educated and quite well read, but was pretty stupid with food.) It took awhile and I am still learning and making adjustments. But I will say after my initial education, it took quite some time for me to experiment with the foods and get into a rhythm with what i want to eat and serve. THEN came in the budget aspect. It does cost less to eat my way vs. the fast way. But it also took education, trial and error, planning and TIME. So really, just merely educating people will not initially work; you need to work with them. In all honesty, when working with people who do not have a lot of money, you first need to tell them this will save them money. They want to be shown concrete examples, not suggestions like “go visit a farmers market.” They may have never been to one. Intimidation might set in. Small steps are best suited to make larger changes. Love this post. Love this topic.
Mavis Butterfield says
I LOVE your answer Deanna!
Cheryl says
Totally agree Deanna!! I too have had to teach myself how to eat thanks to medical issues and truthfully a class on how to cook would be a godsend to me.
Jen says
Agreed.
Linda says
I could have written this response myself Deanna….and you are spot on!! I too, have come a long way in educating myself about food, nutrition and healthy eating habits. I didn’t know what a lentil was either five years ago. HA! It takes time and a willingness to learn and make changes. And thanks to bloggers like Mavis, we have access to healthy and frugal recipes and ideas for meals, not to mention learning how to garden. Love the post Mavis…and the blog in general!!
Peggy Stenglein says
This is a very hot topic and very charged question and debate right now! I think a combination of both is not necessary, but certainly helpful in getting people to know how to use and cook with healthier foods. They don’t have to be more expensive, but sometimes it does involve shopping around, and if transportation is a issue, there is no problem with buying an all purpose flour over the whole wheat option as I saw in the first comment, and I only use that as an example. I follow the No Child Hungry campaign, and they follow the SNAP debate quite a bit. I think this is where part of the problem lies. People are comfortable with the usual, the ordinary in their lives, be it good or bad, and I mean in every economic level in this country, and in every aspect of life. We see change as something that might fail, and we are conditioned to think we have to be a raving success in everything as soon as we make a change. That is unrealistic. I have seen senators and congressman do SNAP recipients a disservice when they were debating the farm bill and budget cuts by making trying to eat healthy on a very strict budget a bad and impossible thing. Now before anyone gets upset with me here, I, and most people don’t support cutting food stamp benefits to those who qualify, but there are ways to make a super tight budget work, and it can happen in small steps to make it a success. Aldi is a grocery store chain around my area that has wonderful selections on produce and all sorts of grocery products and wonderful prices, they offer organic foods and have pamphlets and a website that show recipes using healthy ingredients. There are basics like beans and rice, and frozen ground turkey and leaner (85%) ground beef at great prices. A basic menu plan can help keep things more on track on meal planning too, and that’s just one discount grocery store. Gardening can be done by anyone, almost anywhere, and doesn’t have to be expensive. The key here is to start small, that’s not what most people want to hear, but time is what it takes to learn a new skill, and eating healthy is a skill and a gift. Communities can come together to push the word about a cooking workshop at a garden market, show how wonderful something like an omelet can taste when made with whatever is in the fridge and how nutritious it can be! These things can be done, but it takes time, encouragement, and that of politicians, not just trying to advance a party line issue, and most off all, the commitment of individuals and communities!
Cheryl says
Once folks begin having medical issues that require them to eat more healthy foods, sometimes that gets the point across. But then too, it seems to open up a whole new slew of questions. I have ulcerative colititis which is exacerbated by particular foods, so some days eating “healthy” vegetables creates much pain and other days it doesn’t…much of the time it is like walking through a mine field. Then there is that concept of what is healthy as for me eating whole grains and vegetables is like a death threat from a certain organ in said body. I suspect it just comes down to knowing your body and being very well read on nutrition and GMO’s, sugar and how it metabolizes, etc. Oh and water, as much as I hate it…it makes a huge difference in how the body works and how full you feel.
Rachel says
Until SNAP goes back to only allowing healthier foods as options, people aren’t going to change. If I accidentally go shopping the first of the month, I am surrounded by carts full of processed foods and frozen foods and sugar-filled foods. I’m not a picture of healthy-eating perfection but I try to buy fresh and make from scratch most of the time. The difference is knowledge and not always relying on what is convenient over what is better for us in the long run.
oregon mom says
We are a family of 7 on a single income with a tight grocery budget. We only eat out 1 -2 Times a month. And eat healthy fresh whole foods, organic when we can (at least on meat and veggies) I cook from scratch for the same reason as everyone else…..health and taste!! I do all this because I WANT TO, for the health of my family. And that is the point many are making…If you want to be healthy you will find a way to make it work. A change is needed in the food stamp system!!!! Food stamps should ONLY be used on vegetables, meat, basic dairy, and staples ( rice, peanut butter, beans,flour etc.) Not crappity food like chips and donut!!! I also saw our community garden close because not enough people wanted to participate. So availability isn’t so much the problem,.
Elaine S says
I was raised in a poor family. We gardened, hunted, fished, raised livestock so that we could use what little money we had to pay bills and buy clothes for 5 growing kids. I learned these type activities from a young age. I do them now to save $ and to show my son how to eat more healthy. My friends have no idea how I do what I do in the garden or the kitchen. They consider me a chef. Their idea of cooking involves ready made entrees in boxes and veggies out of cans. From scratch is beyond them. I believe home ec is a dying occupation. My son will grow up knowing how to provide for himself and others. I try to share knowledge with my friends but fast and easy usually wins the day with them.
Sarah in Ga. says
I absolutely agree with Vicki and junk foods most def play on the addictive responses in your body and making you crave them more! Top that off with fast food chains using that knowledge to their financial benefit and to our detriment making it so easy and cheap to eat poorly and there ya have it. People are sadly addicted to fast food and will continue to eat it bc it taste good and it’s convenient. And the restaurants sure ain’t changin’ bc their burgers may be only $1 but I promise those CEOs aren’t hurtin for money lol. Me personally, I hate fast food bc it’s sooo greasy, and I prefer veggies and wish they had a drive thru I don’t know let’s call it The Garden Shed? Lol sounds yummy! Now chocolate on the other hand…ugh…my addictive downfall.
lilton says
After drafting my comment, I realized I must be more steamed about this topic than I thought! I think alot of the problem in our area stems from generations of impoverished families cooking the same inexpensive foods and teaching their children to do likewise. I live in Appalachia, and I know several families who eat beans and potatoes, and the like, because it is cheap, easy, and fills you up. And not many vegetables. And because of that cycle, folks often simply do not like, or do not eat, vegetables. Now, I completely agree that vegetable gardening can be extremely affordable–both in supplies (especially if you wait until Mr. Greenhouse marks all of his flats of veggie plants to $4.00 and just happens to be running an unadvertised BOGO sale to boot) and in crops produced, but if you have not had access to those foods and do not like them (or think you do not like them), even if fresh produce is available, your eating habits will not change. Since I have been gardening, I have been noticing quite a few gardens in some of these areas, so I think some folks do realize that they can, and do, grow fresh produce to supplement their limited food budgets, but there are still not enough of these gardens, in my humble opinion.
However, another HUGE problem is parents who cave in to feed their children what they WANT to eat instead of what they SHOULD eat. HORRIFIED does not even begin to describe my reaction when I learned that a very well-educated family we know feeds child A chicken because that is all that child will eat and child B macaroni and cheese because that is all that child will eat (oh, and both of these children are in middle school). My reaction, when I finally found words, was (1) they would starve at our house because I am not a short order cook and we have a strict “I don’t care if you like it, but you have to taste it and eat 3 bites rule” (yes, this applies to my child’s friends when they eat over, too) and (2) it sounds like they need to be in 4-H and take a gardening project and a cooking project to learn how to grow and cook their own food to broaden their horizons (because, short of families who teach these skills and some limited school programs, I find our local 4-H program’s offerings provide alot of instruction on these basic life skills and, at least in our area, 4-H is completely free to participate in). Whether through 4-H or schools or parents teaching, I really think education of CHILDREN is key to help break this mindset cycle. One of our local schools installed a high tunnel and has been using it to teach gardening, math, nutrition, finance, etc., when the students plant and care for their vegetables and then the school sells their crops to the school lunch program. Not only are the children really excited about vegetables (they want to eat them as soon as they pick them), they are eating better when their veggies are served on the school salad bar. Happily, two other schools plan to implement this program this spring (I only wish my child’s school would….).
Julia says
I’m thinking if I were to go get mcdonald’s cheeseburgers for my family of 5, I’d need probably 8-9 of them to fill us all up (growing boys, and all…). So $9, not to mention drinks, etc… For $9 I can feed us quite well, and healthy, and have left overs for lunch the next day. I think it’s all about the convenience factor and lack of education, but not because it’s not available, people don’t want it.
RebekahU says
One thing is for certain – this problem can only be addressed by one person talking to and working side by side with another person. Teaching, helping, and mentoring. Providing encouragement. Teaching kids how to grow things – where ever they can. Government is NOT the answer (the FDA, farm subsidies, the food stamp/SNAP program – where the dollars no longer have to go to food – all of these have contributed to the problem!!!). Wouldn’t it be good if some of the government SNAP dollars went to community gardens that could then hand out free fruit and veggies? Maybe they could even pay for a gardener whose job it would be to teach, help grow things, and create interest in their garden? I think that our current government assistance programs, while needed by some, create a helpless and hopeless group of people. If we could restructure how we help people on assistance, I think maybe the food problem might be improved. In addition, community gardens could possibly create a new economic opportunity for some. Cottage industries could be started. Kids could get outside and work in real gardens (do you know there is a virtual garden app that kids LOVE to play???). I think that food deserts exist because there is no demand for the fresh fruits and veggies in those areas. So the issue is – how to create demand? Teach kids to CRAVE things that are not in a wrapping, out of a box, or from a drive thru window.
Aileen says
Here in Ireland, we are in to our 7th year of Operation Transformation – a health & fitness programme broadcast on radio, television and the web. Six leaders are chosen to change their lives & figures in the areas of nutrition, fitness & psychology. The panel of experts who assist them achieve their goals have the following: 1. food plans including shopping lists & recipes & accompanying how to cook videos 2. Exercises – plans & videos 3. Chats with psychologist to assist in specific areas 4. Weight Loss Tracker. It has had a huge impact on Irish society with schools taking up the One Step Challenge; local communities getting together for regular walking; stop smoking initiative; National Blood Pressure Day; Nationwide Walks; National Swim Days and 5 kilometre runs. Have a look on http://www.myot.ie.
Alex says
Poor eating habits are an issue that transcends class and income. There are poor folks who are told they can’t afford healthy food. There are middle class folks who believe that healthy food takes too long to prepare. There are rich folks who find healthy food an inconvenience.
There are a few issues that need to be addressed if you want people to eat healthier. 1) The time it takes to prepare that food, 2) The cost of the ingredients, and 3) The inconvenience of having to cook your own food.
Different groups of people may prioritize those issues differently, but all must be convinced that it’s worth their effort on all fronts.
Barbee says
To quote Madam Chow : ” Junk food tastes good. It’s convenient. It’s cheap.”
Totally true! But not only that-fast food, junk food has become a part of our culture.
It’s no longer “American as apple pie’ It’s “American as McDonalds.”
It’s uniquely American and one of out largest exports. You go to Europe or Asia and see a McDonalds or Starbucks you automatically think: American food. For that-I don’t see an easy fix.
Even if you offer the veggies for FREE people will still prefer to buy the pizza.
Carol says
There do seem to be a lot of 20-30 somethings who have never learned about healthy diets and or how to cook. Also, another thing to consider about wealthy communities being several miles from grocery stores is that the families own cars. It is quite easy for the people who live there to get in the car and pop over to the nearest grocery store. Most poor people in a true food desert cannot afford to have a car. They must make connections on busses or other mass transit to get to the grocery store, which takes a lot more time and planning, and they need to somehow carry the items home. In other words, they would need to shop far away more frequently than most of us do. Someone who has done a marvelous job of bringing healthy food to a less financially endowed community is Will Allen. His story is very inspiring. You might want to check out his website:
http://www.growingpower.org/
Jennifer says
I don’t fully agree with the busy excuse for fast food. Once in a while sure but I think it’s just an accepted excuse for most people. I have a 2 and 1 year old and my husband and I work opposite shifts. I work during the day so I get off work and have an hour to cook and eat dinner before he goes to work. And I get it done, from scratch, six days a week (we give ourselves one takeout night a week). Is it easy? No! Do I want to start cooking the instant I walk in the door from work? No! But I do it because quality food and family dinner is a priority for us. Not everything in life has to be convenient and simple! And no one taught me to cook or budget or meal plan either. If people don’t want to change, nothing can help them. Like someone said before it’s like going on a diet or quitting smoking; if the internal motivation isn’t there it not going to happen.
silvia says
Today I drove 15 minutes from my home to a poor nighborhood’s ethnic supermarket. I purchaded 10 lbs of carrots for $1.98, 3 lbs of zuchini for $0.99, 6 lbs of pears for $2.97, 6 lbs of onions for $2.97, 2 lbs of roma tomatoes for $0.99
All of this for less than $10. I cook from scratch because it tastes better and it’s better for you. It takes a lot of time but I believe we spend our time and resources on what we value the most. If you want to learn how to cook there are tons of videos and books and all are free.
EosRisingFarm says
I have long felt that education i key to limited budget health success. Teaching people the bus routes that are most efficient for them in food dessert areas. Programs like WIC should require a 1hour best way to use the bennefits class upon the yearly renewal. Thirty-two ounces of whole grain, 1 lb of beans, a dozen eggs and 5 gallons of milk a month can actually provide ALOT of food for the month. Being on a special dieatary restriction we have a hard time keeping our food budget down BUT we can and do do it. Educate to empower. But not just on paper. Alot of this is best demonstrated live so that people cannot say well she has the time. It really is very simple to feed your family (of 4) for 100$ a week on whole foods!
Mary F Campbell says
I have a $190 per month budget to feed 2 adults here in BC, Canada and we eat exceptionally well! I also manage to maintain a good supply of pantry items with that budget by shopping sales, using coupons, planning meals, prepping foods on the weekend and cooking only 2-3 times a week and then re-purposing my leftovers. It can be done but it requires a dedication of time each and every week but we are worth the time and effort. I have also educated hubby over the last 20 years so that should if I happen to perish first, he has the tools to continue eating both healthy and economically.
When I met my spouse nearly 30 years ago, he ate hot dogs, Kraft dinner, burgers & fries and had PB sandwiches absolutely every day for lunch. I shuddered in horror! I meal plan, post it on an online calendar he syncs to & I make sure everything necessary is on hand. He gets to look at the week’s meals and if something doesn’t appeal, he has a chance to speak up. Today lunch fixings are ready to go in the fridge so he can have both healthy & a variety – his lunch today included an egg salad sandwich on 100% whole wheat bread, a couple of homemade low-sugar and low-fat pumpkin spice quick bread and a thermos of chocolate milk, that I was able to get on sale last week using a coupon. Also…it’s great to know that Friday night is a no cook “tv night” because we have a certain leftover ready to simply re-heat. This week we won’t be home until 7:00 pm after both have haircuts but we have a homemade Peasant Cabbage Soup and cornbread pudding to heat up while enjoying a baby spinach salad with red onion, radishes and cucumber slices. I like to try some new recipe, at least once a week, just to keep things interesting and I involve him in the process of choosing what we try. Mostly we’ve had hits, only one outright flop and many that I tinker with to improve them for our palettes.
I have also helped him become a very frugal shopper and conscious of an awesome sale. He has called me from his office on many an occasion to tell me that the market he walks by on, his 30 minute lunchtime stroll, has some fruit or vegetable on sale at a real “loss leader” price and to ask if we should work it into the budget and meal plan for our week & how many he should pick up.
I didn’t learn to cook at my mother’s apron strings either but Grandma had a huge garden, a cow and chickens and we visited every summer to help bring in the crops and preserve them. I admit to being a total McDonalds drive thru addict in my early 20’s when I was single & couldn’t be bothered to cook for one person but when I had a car accident and was flat on my back for 6 months, my dear friend who is now my hubby, brought me 100’s of nutrition, slow cooker, canning, baking, vegetarian and vegan library books to read and I absorbed information like a sponge – without ever setting foot in the kitchen. Six months later when I could finally stand, cooking became an immediate passion for me. I credit hubby with our ability to dine as well as we do because of those library trips. Oh by the way, I have re-vamped our diet so many times… to deal with several health issues we have developed during the aging process. Change is fun though if you approach it that way. 🙂
Mavis says
Wow! Great work combing frugality and healthy living!
Roz says
This is a really important issue for me (I’m a student of public health-health promotion and education). I also just received my BA while working at a nursing home in a Southwestern city. I have one related example from my own experience that is something I never heard discussed in my classes. At my work in an 8 hour shift I would take about 45,000 steps, and I would also lift about 60 pounds frequently throughout that shift. I hear that people who work in an office environment try to shoot for 10,000. I cannot eat a small salad on my lunch break or i would not make it to the end of my shift without getting a headache or worse. I happen to make very little money doing this work. It’s not bad when you are getting through college living with your parents, but it’s not good enough to feed a family of four. Trying to feed a family of four is what most of my coworkers are trying to do. I think it’s naive to say they could rely on a garden, because most of my coworkers in the most desperate situations are working 16 hour shifts sometimes 4 days a week. Also this is the desert, and growing a garden is expensive. My opinion- we have to make sure everyone has an affordable, healthy option, and then we can get off our high horse and tell people they are lazy and irresponsible.
jan says
Well said, Roz. I agree with you wholeheartedly.
Amy says
I think both are important. There’s no point in educating people on how to prepare fresh, healthy foods if they don’t have access to them, or can’t afford to buy them. At the same time, you can’t just hand someone who typically eats processed food a bunch of beets and expect them to know what to do with them.
This is not a topic about which I know a great deal, but I suspect our entire agriculture/food system has to change to improve this situation. As long as big agricultural and food processing companies are given huge subsidies and tax breaks, to the exclusion of small farms and local food producers, the junk they produce will be cheaper and more widely available.
Elizabeth says
At the risk of offending many people, I am starting to get really annoyed with the word fast. I don’t spend hours a day planning dinner. In fact, I spend 30-45 minutes or less a day making and preparing a meal and guess what? I give my kids a 2 or 3 course meal every night. Period. The we need it to be super fast mentality really means: I am lazy and do not want to have to do any work. Our first course is always a vegetable: salad, tomatoes and feta, broccoli, raw carrots, etc. and our main course is a starch and another veggie. Sometimes there is a meat/protein, sometimes not. Our final course is yogurt and honey, some times fruit. It is never a sugary sweet. Pasta, biscuits, potatoes, beans (using a pressure cooker), rice, etc, none of them take more than 30 minutes to prepare. I have two toddlers and an infant so I understand busy but it is a choice. Of course there are days when I make something that requires more than 30 minutes (roasted cabbage takes 45 in the oven) but that happens less than twice a week.
An example of where education could indeed play a huge part: one commenter above stated that of course they would choose a hamburger instead of a salad that won’t fill them up. 10 minute or less full dinner salad: lettuce mix, slice the tomato, add other veggies such as peppers, cucumber, sliced cabbage, leftover beets, add cheese, add chicken or other meat or a hardboiled egg, add dried fruit, add nuts, add a dressing. If you really need something else, add a biscuit (1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1.5 tsp baking powder, 2 tbsp. butter, then enough buttermilk/yogurt to moisten. Bake for 7 minutes at 450 degrees).
It kills me when I hear people say: if only I had more time to cook. Oven ready noodles, a jar of sauce and package of preshredded cheese (if you have an extra 5 minutes, fry some burger or sausage and add to the sauce), layer it in a pan and bake for 15-20 minutes. Bam, dinner in 30 minutes.
I know many, many people who are poor and I can tell you, they cook from scratch. Most of the frugal people I know, cook from scratch. Even when they work long hours, they cook from scratch. While education to our youth might be needed so they know how to use things (seriously who couldn’t use to learn more?) the reality is that most people are lazy. We need to stop blaming all the other reasons and accept that people who do not want to cook, won’t. It doesn’t matter how many free classes they attend or how much access they have to fresh produce (obviously there are people out there who don’t have access to lots of fresh fruits and veggies but neither did the pioneers and they eat a lot better than the average American). Until people want to make the effort to eat better, they won’t. All the comments about not expecting people to know what to do with produce are, in my opinion, ridiculous. Between the internet, free resources such as the library for cook books and ask the other person in the aisle next to you what they do with them, there are tons of ways to learn. I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen something and wondered what it was and simply asked someone who was already buying it what they were doing with it.
As to the final note of cost: our fresh produce will not be cheaper until we start supporting our farms and increasing the demand for the produce. Once the demand goes up and the supply goes up, the number of local farms will also increase. By having more local produce, the cost should go down. Yes we have a garden so that can afford to feed our family of 5 only organic foods and we keep our budget at less than $200 a month (including our dairy share). It can be done, you just have to want it and be willing to spend the initial time to find the right sources. In the end, if you want to eat healthy, you will. Produce too expensive? Check our the bruised section of your grocery.
K says
Well, I haven’t touched fast food since I was a pre-teen — Burger King chicken sandwich food poisoning will do that to a person if you get sick enough! My children have never been to a fast food place because it’s not a place I would every venture.
Cooking homemade meals can and often does cost less than buying the boxed mixes, frozen meals, and meal short-cuts. Also, if you plan your meals to incorporate all of your ingredients over the course of a week to avoid food waste, you win. The motivation needs to be there though!
Mavis says
While food poisoning is never good, having it cause you to run from fast food joints is a blessing in disguise I’d say.
Couponkrazy2011 says
Hello
I am a little behind this week but saw this and as a low-income single Mother of 2 – who is working and going to school – I had to throw in my 2 cents.
Ok, so of course I like for my girls and I to eat as healthy as possible. I coupon, watch sales and try to best of what I can when I can. But there are days when I just don’t have much. Days when the girls crave fast food. And honestly – it is cheaper to go to McDonalds on Tuesdays when kids meals are $1.25 each, then for me to buy all the ingredients to try and make it.
Lets face it. I know its not good for them. I honestly don’t have the time to cook it from scratch. But that is why this is a treat for them. We don’t go more than 1-2 times per month.
I will be honest here – I do get food stamps for the 3 of us. I almost always run out 1/2 through the month and then we live off whatever I have stocked up in the garage. Its also not the healthiest way of living but I feel like I have little choice. My day starts at 5:30am and I am never home before 6pm – often later. Throw in homework time… and trying to make dinner… dinner better be quick.
For me – healthy foods are very expensive. I do what I can but on shopping days, my adventurous 7 yr old wants to try this and that and often I have to say “sorry, not today”. She wants to try all fruits and veggies there are. She wants to try new things and due to budget – I have to say no and it kills me. She should be able to try all fruits and veggies she wants to… I can’t afford them.
I buy 90% frozen broccoli so I can make sure not an ounce gets wasted. Lean Meats? Well at this point I will be lucky if I can get BLSL chicken breast. Beef? Forget about it unless I can find it in the “use NOW” bin. Pork? Sometimes.
I know how to cook healthy & good meals – I just don’t have the $$ to do so – and in some cases not the energy either – I am not lazy. My days are 18 hours days from the minute I get up until my head hits the pillow. Our dysfunctional foods comes from not having enough money in our pockets. But this is why I am going to school. I hope to better our future – including food options. For now… it just is what it has to be.