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Can't afford food? Between food stamps and eating for $1.50/day (source- https://efficiencyiseverything.com/eat-for-1-50-per-day-layoffs-coronavirus-quarantine-

Can't afford food? Between food stamps and eating for $1.50/day (source- https://efficiencyiseverything.com/eat-for-1-50-per-day-layoffs-coronavirus-quarantine-food-shortages/ https://efficiencyiseverything.com/eat-for-1-50-per-day-layo...) I don't think the problem is the cost of food. Rent, sure. Health insurance, sure. Food? Not the major expense, especially with food stamps.

chongli 7y ago
A lot of people live in so-called "food deserts" [1]. That means they don't have access to fresh produce or bulk ingredients like milk, flour, eggs, beans, rice, pasta, or potatoes. Instead, they're stuck with convenience store food which is mostly junk food. If they wanted to buy healthier food they'd have to travel a long way to reach a grocery store, a problem greatly exacerbated for those who do not own a car. It's not easy to carry home 10lbs of potatoes and 10lbs of beans by public transit, let alone on foot. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert
- lostmsu 7y ago
  They define "food desert" as 10 mile distance. I don't know how many of those 23 mil. don't have any means of transportation, but most probably do, in which cases 10 mile is just 10-20 minutes of driving away.
  - cultofmetatron 7y ago
    by comparison, I'm in greece and no matter where I go in this city, there's always little shops with fresh vegetable ad fruit withing a 5 minute walk tops
  - wbronitsky 7y ago
    People are going hungry because they live in food deserts. The GP has proved this and you dismiss it. Why would people make this argument if people weren’t actually going hungry?
  - chongli 7y ago
    From the Wikipedia article (emphasis mine): >In 2010, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that 23.5 million Americans live in "food deserts", meaning that they live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban or suburban areas and more than 10 miles from a supermarket in rural areas.[6]
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
wcfields 7y ago
Food stamps in some states are almost impossible to get.
asdff 7y ago
I haven't had much luck finding milk, flour, eggs, or rice in stores unless I go at 6am. I'm not sure the state of appying for food stamps right now, but it can't be great. For unemployment, it took my friend over 3 weeks to get their unemployment debit card, and he only got it because it was sent by mistake to his neighbors house who kindly hand delivered it. California EDD is so backed up, and you can't really call them or contact them in any way right now.
fataliss 7y ago
Food stamps come with a whole bunch of restrictions on what you can and cannot buy with it. Want a big jug of milk to save and you need a big one anyway cause you have kids? Nope, the only approved milk is the half gallon, etc. etc. So for some people, while it might not be the top #1 problem it's def up there.
- xkapastel 7y ago
  I don't think that's true, WIC is the one with restrictions like that. You can buy any food with food stamps. Certainly there is no restriction on any kind of milk.

chongli 7y ago

A lot of people live in so-called "food deserts" [1]. That means they don't have access to fresh produce or bulk ingredients like milk, flour, eggs, beans, rice, pasta, or potatoes. Instead, they're stuck with convenience store food which is mostly junk food. If they wanted to buy healthier food they'd have to travel a long way to reach a grocery store, a problem greatly exacerbated for those who do not own a car. It's not easy to carry home 10lbs of potatoes and 10lbs of beans by public transit, let alone on foot. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert

lostmsu 7y ago
They define "food desert" as 10 mile distance. I don't know how many of those 23 mil. don't have any means of transportation, but most probably do, in which cases 10 mile is just 10-20 minutes of driving away.
- cultofmetatron 7y ago
  by comparison, I'm in greece and no matter where I go in this city, there's always little shops with fresh vegetable ad fruit withing a 5 minute walk tops
- wbronitsky 7y ago
  People are going hungry because they live in food deserts. The GP has proved this and you dismiss it. Why would people make this argument if people weren’t actually going hungry?
- chongli 7y ago
  From the Wikipedia article (emphasis mine): >In 2010, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that 23.5 million Americans live in "food deserts", meaning that they live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban or suburban areas and more than 10 miles from a supermarket in rural areas.[6]
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

wcfields 7y ago

Food stamps in some states are almost impossible to get.

asdff 7y ago

I haven't had much luck finding milk, flour, eggs, or rice in stores unless I go at 6am. I'm not sure the state of appying for food stamps right now, but it can't be great. For unemployment, it took my friend over 3 weeks to get their unemployment debit card, and he only got it because it was sent by mistake to his neighbors house who kindly hand delivered it. California EDD is so backed up, and you can't really call them or contact them in any way right now.

fataliss 7y ago

Food stamps come with a whole bunch of restrictions on what you can and cannot buy with it. Want a big jug of milk to save and you need a big one anyway cause you have kids? Nope, the only approved milk is the half gallon, etc. etc. So for some people, while it might not be the top #1 problem it's def up there.

xkapastel 7y ago
I don't think that's true, WIC is the one with restrictions like that. You can buy any food with food stamps. Certainly there is no restriction on any kind of milk.