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STIMULUS WATCH: $25 check may cost you food stamps

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by juicystream, Jun 15, 2009.

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juicystream Member

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thadeus said:

In this thread: People who have never had to eat on $100 a month.

Unless you've lived it (really lived it over a long period of time - not just being fashionably poor in college) you really don't know.
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How long do you have to live it if a presumed four years of college isn't long enough. You probably did it even if you didn't go to college. I still average less than $100 per person now. When I lived on my own I would buy a box of cereal, a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk and just add water pancake mix every week. As needed I purchased PB&J. I'm thankful that I no longer try to live on about $10/week worth of groceries. This is all before I got hooked on instant mashed potatoes. Occasionally I might get spaghetti. Never ate Ramen until I had enough money to where I didn't need to buy it, and it turns out the stuff is freaking great.

#81 juicystream, Jun 15, 2009

thadeus Member

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juicystream said:

How long do you have to live it if a presumed four years of college isn't long enough.
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How about spending the majority of your childhood and young adulthood eating like that?

You probably did it even if you didn't go to college. I still average less than $100 per person now.
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I find this difficult to believe. Sorry. Unless you have your own cow or something.

When I lived on my own I would buy a box of cereal, a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk and just add water pancake mix every week. As needed I purchased PB&J.
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So, all you ever ate was bread, plain pancakes, milk and cereal, and the occasional pb&j sandwich? That doesn't sound very healthy at all.

I'm thankful that I no longer try to live on about $10/week worth of groceries. This is all before I got hooked on instant mashed potatoes. Occasionally I might get spaghetti. Never ate Ramen until I had enough money to where I didn't need to buy it, and it turns out the stuff is freaking great.
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I like ramen too (especially with sriracha) ... but take a look at the nutritional information some time. That stuff is horrible for you.

#82 thadeus, Jun 15, 2009
fmullegun Contributing Member

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thadeus said:

Considering that this is what you chose to take exception to with my post, I'll just go ahead and assume that you have no idea what it's like trying to eat on $100 a month (though it was fairly obvious from your posting that that's the case).

I find that those who advance these sorts of diets are usually the same people who have never had to put themselves in the position to eat that diet - and often, they're the same people who would never subject themselves to a lifetime of meals consisting solely of bread, rice, beans, and potatoes.
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I could have racked up thousands in CC bills on top of my student loans and had pizza every night. I chose to live within the budget of student loans and my part time job and not default on thousands in debt.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090615/bs_nm/us_creditcards

#83 fmullegun, Jun 15, 2009
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thadeus said:

So, all you ever ate was bread, plain pancakes, milk and cereal, and the occasional pb&j sandwich? That doesn't sound very healthy at all.

.
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If you add protein to it that varies in source then it is much healthier than pizza and burgers everynight.

low sat. fat, low cholesterol, low sodium etc.

#84 fmullegun, Jun 15, 2009
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SamFisher said:

OK -Heart disease in Asia Soaring

fine - we bow down to your spartan diet of 20 lb bags of rice and cases of tuna from Sam's club.
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From the first paragraph...

Few people should have a healthier heart than Yoshifusa Miyagi. The 57-year-old politician has spent his entire life on Okinawa, a Japanese island once envied for being home to the longest-lived population on earth, thanks, it was believed, to a diet consisting mainly of fish, vegetables, rice and other foods low in saturated fat. But over the years, the American military presence on the island has produced a profound shift in local eating habits, introducing artery-clogging quantities of beef and deep-fried snacks. Among other fast-food outlets, Okinawa boasts 44 McDonald's, including Japan's first branch, opened in 1976. Since 2000, Okinawans have been taking in as much fat as a percentage of their overall diet as Americans.

So the article is not saying that rice is unhealthy and causing the asian health problems, but western food.

#85 Nuclear Yak, Jun 15, 2009
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Nuclear Yak said:

So the article is not saying that rice is unhealthy and causing the asian health problems, but western food.
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which is largely corn based

which is very cheap

#86 MadMax, Jun 15, 2009
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Nuclear Yak said:

So the article is not saying that rice is unhealthy and causing the asian health problems, but western food.
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Yeah but it's not helping either - rice was fine when they were too poor to afford a ton of it - and a very efficient deliverer of calories when starvation was a real problem.

The same can actually be said about potatos which went a great way towards eliminating famine in the British isles after it was introducted there.

But now rice is just another carb loaded on top of everything else - I don't think it's helping a ton.

#87 SamFisher, Jun 15, 2009

fmullegun Contributing Member

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SamFisher said:

Yeah but it's not helping either - rice was fine when they were too poor to afford a ton of it - and a very efficient deliverer of calories when starvation was a real problem.

The same can actually be said about potatos which went a great way towards eliminating famine in the British isles after it was introducted there.

But now rice is just another carb loaded on top of everything else - I don't think it's helping a ton.
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I don't know why you keep saying carb like it is a bad thing.

You need like 55% carbs then like 30% protein then ~ 15% fats by calories. Carbs are the main macronutrient.

#88 fmullegun, Jun 15, 2009
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fmullegun said:

I don't know why you keep saying carb like it is a bad thing.

You need like 55% carbs then like 30% protein then ~ 15% fats by calories. Carbs are the main macronutrient.
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Well rice has 45g's of carbs against 5 gs of protein or something like that - you were railing about the efficiency of rice as a carb delivery vehicle earlier, you can't have it both ways and now say that it's not.

#89 SamFisher, Jun 15, 2009
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SamFisher said:

Well rice has 45g's of carbs against 5 gs of protein or something like that - you were railing about the efficiency of rice as a carb delivery vehicle earlier, you can't have it both ways and now say that it's not.
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Right. Rice is the carb. I am not saying it is not a good carb. Beans and tuna along with rice make an excellent ratio of carb/protein.

I should make a mealplan for you. I bet you would shocked with the variety and items you could eat for cheap if someone is willing to cook.

#90 fmullegun, Jun 15, 2009
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fmullegun said:

Right. Rice is the carb. I am not saying it is not a good carb. Beans and tuna along with rice make an excellent ratio of carb/protein.

I should make a mealplan for you. I bet you would shocked with the variety and items you could eat for cheap if someone is willing to cook.
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I would like to see this meal plan.

#91 SamFisher, Jun 15, 2009
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SamFisher said:

I would like to see this meal plan.
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Yeah it would be nice but I just thought about I would have to argue that tuna really does cost 75 cents not 3 dollars on every item. That would seriously get old.

#92 fmullegun, Jun 15, 2009
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fmullegun said:

Yeah it would be nice but I just thought about I would have to argue that tuna really does cost 75 cents not 3 dollars on every item. That would seriously get old.
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I'm actually more interested in the menu items (tuna casserole?) than the cost just for amusement's sake.

#93 SamFisher, Jun 15, 2009

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I was just thinking, why do conservatives keep starting these threads to criticize Obama for things that actually should appeal to them.

We already know about the DOMA brief that I guess he found time to sit down and write out himself, but according to this story, 25 dollars is causing lots of these "leeches" and "deadbeats" to lose out on $300 of food stamps. That's netting $275 dollars back. Not bad from a conservative's standpoint. Unless your standpoint is that no matter what, "OBAMA BAD!"

#94 Oski2005, Jun 15, 2009
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thadeus said:

True, most kids get more money from middle-class mom & dad now that their childrens' consumption habits reflect back on them.

Considering that this is what you chose to take exception to with my post, I'll just go ahead and assume that you have no idea what it's like trying to eat on $100 a month (though it was fairly obvious from your posting that that's the case).

I find that those who advance these sorts of diets are usually the same people who have never had to put themselves in the position to eat that diet - and often, they're the same people who would never subject themselves to a lifetime of meals consisting solely of bread, rice, beans, and potatoes.
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My mom and grandma basically ate nothing but rice every day for every meal. It's much cheaper than beef and handburgers. They got the 25 lb bag of rice from Hong Kong supermarket. Even though, they could eat a steak or hamburger. They stick with rice, veggies, and a few pieces of pork usually. Yeah, they subjected themselves to it.

Forget bread, beans and potatoes. It's fashionably cool for all the old asian ladies to subject themselves to a lifetime of rice. My grandma lived to be about 100. It couldn't be that bad.

#95 BetterThanEver, Jun 16, 2009
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SamFisher said:

38-49$ per 24-can case:

http://www.foodservicedirect.com/in...Chicken-of-The-Sea-Low-Sodium-Canned-Tuna.htm

Actually there really is - if you make the price of high calorie foods artificially low (like the government does with corn by MASSIVELY subsidizing it) you pretty much make the decision for them.
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You are paying too much for tuna. Go shopping with me, I can get you the can for 39 cents at Kroger or Walmart. I usually get the Starkist or Chicken of the sea in water, whichever is cheaper that week. It used to be really cheap 2 years ago. I used to buy them 3 for a $1. If it was on sale, 4 for a $1.

#96 BetterThanEver, Jun 16, 2009
juicystream Member

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thadeus said:

How about spending the majority of your childhood and young adulthood eating like that?
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I've been somewhat poor for a decent portion of my life(poor is very relative term). I'm still poor enough to have medicaid & WIC for my wife and son, though I refuse the WIC on principle that we can afford to eat. I've never been as poor as my mom, dad, or brother were as kids/young adults.

I find this difficult to believe. Sorry. Unless you have your own cow or something.
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Why does it seem that hard? We primarily eat Malt-O-Meal cereal, oatmeal, waffles, or pancakes for breakfast. We eat sandwiches, leftovers, or canned pasta for lunch. We eat Hamburger Helper, Burgers with fries or Mac & Cheese, Chicken & Rice, pancakes, salmon, or pork roast for dinner. Food isn't that expensive if you don't eat out, you don't buy desserts, you buy generic/on sale items, no expensive seasonings/marinades, and you can buy as a family(seeing as everything seems designed for a family of four).

So, all you ever ate was bread, plain pancakes, milk and cereal, and the occasional pb&j sandwich? That doesn't sound very healthy at all.
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I didn't say it was healthy, but it isn't as bad as it sounds. I eat primarily healthy cereals, and peanut butter is one of the best things you can eat. I practically lived off peanut butter until I was a teenager. The only thing you are really missing are some vegtables and some citrus to really make it ok.

I like ramen too (especially with sriracha) ... but take a look at the nutritional information some time. That stuff is horrible for you.
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I only eat it for the taste, not because I have to. I'd assume the sodium is high. I love it with some Tony Chacher's cajun seasoning, or with some Fire sauce from TB.

#97 juicystream, Jun 16, 2009
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I thought I'd bump this thread instead of starting a new one because I remember this debate was kind of funny to me.

Article on how hard it is to eat healthy when on a budget.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/6606587.html

The recession may be thinning our wallets but not our waists. Dietitians say healthy eating could be a casualty of an economy that's making price tags more persuasive than nutrition labels.

Nationally, obesity levels have increased over the past year, and health experts say the weak economy likely will only add heft to the population.

“For better or for worse, calorie-dense foods tend to be cheaper than more nutritious food,” said Jeff Levi, executive director of the Trust for America's Health, which co-commissioned the July obesity report. “We're worried that could exacerbate what's already a very difficult problem.”

In Texas, where 28 percent of adults are obese — and 32 percent of children are overweight or obese — nutritionists are working against the economy, and the lure of high-calorie, low-cost comfort food, in the fight against fat.

“The recession's going to reinforce the need to economize on food, and that usually reduces the quality,” said Dr. Susan Fisher-Hoch, professor of epidemiology at The University of Texas School of Public Health.

Some nutritionists see changing eating habits reflected in the financial reports at McDonald's, where profits increased in the first two quarters of this year, and at the organic grocery chain Whole Foods, where profits declined. Though McDonald's attributed much of its growth to a new line of coffee drinks, executives said Big Macs and an expanded value menu also drove sales.

Burger King has reported a slight decline in sales during 2009, but its marketing team noted that customers were gravitating toward the most affordable menu items. The chain is promoting value meals and dollar items to win back lagging business.

A Houston McDonald's was packed with patrons during a recent lunchtime. The drive-through line arched deep into a parking lot with no available spaces.

“I just spent a dollar for lunch. That's down from $6 before,” said 40-year-old Ken James, who has found savings on the value menu.

“Then again,” he said, patting an early trace of paunch, “I'm trying to cut back here, too.”

Stressful times
Health experts say the recession's effect on weight is multifold. People aren't just reaching for high-fat, high-carbohydrate meals to save money; they're also seeking comfort foods to soothe the stress of financial trouble.

A July study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people tend to gain weight under stress, particularly when they are heavier to begin with.

“The recession makes people depressed, and food is a common antidote to depression,” Fisher-Hoch said.

In Brownsville, where Fisher-Hoch teaches, 52 percent of the population is obese, a classification that includes anyone more than 30 percent overweight — over 200 pounds for someone 5 feet 9.

“It's so bad it's hard to imagine it getting worse,” she said.

Belinda Reininger, another UT professor, helps coordinate a media campaign that focuses on affordable ways to eat healthfully.

“One thing we talk about so much, for economic reasons, is the relationship between eating at home and reducing obesity,” Reininger said. “You're able to stretch portions further for less money when you're preparing it yourself, and you have control over what goes into the meal.”

Dr. Rebecca Reeves, a dietitian and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, agrees that you can eat at home for less than you'd spend at a fast-food chain.

Even the dollar menu may not save you money if you're feeding a family, she said. For one thing, you won't have any leftovers, so you'll have to hit the drive-thru again the next night.

“It comes down to planning your meals. A lot of times it's looking at those grocery-store specials and incorporating them into your meal plan,” Reeves said.

You also can substitute cheaper versions of healthy foods: buying whole chickens instead of boneless, skinless breasts, for example, or frozen or canned fruit and vegetables instead of fresh. “They're just as good, especially for people who are trying to watch their dollars,” Reeves said.

Falling into old habits
Eating healthfully on a budget takes commitment and resourcefulness, she acknowledged. When people have too much on their plates to begin with, food choices are the first thing to slide.

“We see that in our studies. When life overcomes your initiative toward losing weight and being healthy, and you haven't quite established those patterns, you fall back into old habits. Often that means running out for fast food,” she said.
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#98 pgabriel, Sep 8, 2009

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GladiatoRowdy said:

Is it just me or does this guy look like a white Robert Horry?
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the old lady looks like a white mutombo

#99 vlaurelio, Sep 8, 2009
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I still haven't finished that bag of rice. It is like a never ending supply.

#100 BigBenito, Sep 8, 2009

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