Omega, on 06 March 2014 - 06:17 PM, said:
Elara, on 06 March 2014 - 05:25 PM, said:
So, your thought would be to limit people on food stamps to less variety than anyone else?
Yes. Are you seeing a problem with that?
Yes, I am. I am on disability, I get $92.00 a month of food stamps. I buy very little junk food (maybe a bag of tortilla chips a month, and some pop), not a big fan of the stuff. I buy food as cheap as I can and make meals from scratch, plus do my own baking. I've cooked since I was a teenager, feeding myself, my brother and my mother. I don't like most prepared foods, so not concerned with them no longer paid for, but to suggest that I don't have the right to the same variety of foods as anyone else? Yes, I have a big problem with that thought.
Omega, on 06 March 2014 - 06:17 PM, said:
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(and your list of foods? Not that healthy)
I can't imagine you're saying that oats, eggs, fresh spinach, beans, and rice aren't "healthy foods". (Insofar as one can easily divide foods into binary classes like that, which I don't buy as a general thing. But for the purposes of this discussion, I think we all know what we're talking about.) Perhaps you mean those alone don't make a balanced diet? I'd certainly agree with that. It was just a rough example. The bigger point was that it should be possible to make a balanced, healthy, cheap diet for the majority of people out of a
relatively small number of cheap, widely available ingredients. It would take an actual nutritionist (i.e. not me) to do that, though.
Since you did say in a later post that dietary restrictions should be considered, I will just say that oatmeal (not instant) and rice are bad for me. Don't get me wrong, I eat both, but I also have to be careful or I will find myself with my blood sugar dropping like a rock (hypoglycemic). Plus, some people are allergic to eggs, so your list to me, is not exactly 100% healthy, but again, you amended things, so it could be considered a start for healthy eating.
Omega, on 06 March 2014 - 06:17 PM, said:
Elara, on 06 March 2014 - 05:25 PM, said:
If you truly mean only about 10 items at the most, that is really limiting. You can buy fairly cheap, healthy-ish foods and turn it all into a meal, but that would include more than 10 items.
Yeah, ten was absurdly low. Something on the order of several dozens would be necessary.
See? Now several dozens is much better than the restrictions you mentioned before.

Actually, if you added in all vegetables, some meats, milk, breads (ever try to make a peanut butter sandwich without bread?), sugar (baking and Kool-aid), etc... you are probably at many dozens and a much fairer deal.
Omega, on 06 March 2014 - 06:17 PM, said:
Elara, on 06 March 2014 - 05:25 PM, said:
Bad thing is, generally, people now don't seem to know how to cook, and if they are single, have a part-time or even a full-time job and kids, you've made their lives more difficult.
True, there's a down-side. But some healthy foods, at least, require minimal prep. Oatmeal can be microwaved, spinach can be eaten straight out of the bag, beans and rice and eggs can be boiled... perhaps some effort into making these cheap foods microwaveable would also be in order, as an alternative to cooking classes. Hard for a kid feeding themselves to burn down the house with the microwave.

I must also say: Spinach? ~gag~ I cook a lot with beans, and whole grain rice is best (to me) if cooked in a broth or some kind of tomato sauce (Minute Rice), something to give it flavor. Which would add to the list of foods to be included.
Don't kid yourself, causing a fire with a microwave can be done.

In my experience, it was someone that caught a counter on fire at our high school, while attempting to use the microwave. That was fun.
Omega, on 06 March 2014 - 06:17 PM, said:
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Because the only people on food stamps, are the able-bodied, lazy ones that don't work. Now, I don't really believe you mean that, but that is how it reads.
I certainly don't mean that the only people on food stamps are able-bodied and lazy. But a for the minority that
are able-bodied and lazy, it would help. I think we'd all agree that that minority is a problem, both because they're an unnecessary drain on resources others actually need, and because they make what's a vital program for many look bad.
And it's not just the adults, either. I suspect it would also be a good lesson for children being fed on food stamps. "You want tasty food, you go out and earn money. It's not going to just be handed to you."
I agree with able-bodied people working. I worked for years, and despite the little amount we earned, never went on food stamps. I was too proud to do that. Then, single with a son to raise, the last job I worked paid me almost $700.00 a month (2005). That was when I went on food stamps. If I could work now, I would, and dump the food stamps in a heartbeat.
There are work programs here, but I'm not sure how they work (I just know that I don't qualify because of my health).