Just the basics

Eating like that, no, you can't live like this. At least, not for long.

People make fun of this. But if you are on a poverty budget, you have to buy cheap calorically rich food as you would starve on expensive healthy options. Not to mention, most poor people live in grocery food deserts where the closest food market is a dollar general that doesn't carry fresh/healthy food.

Edit: Since people seem to think they've solved the food insecurity for 34 million Americans. I'll continue to go with organization international and domestic that actually studied this.

https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/

https://www.chn.org/voices/food-insecurity-is-already-a-huge-problem-for-the-u-s-in-2023-it-may-get-worse/

https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/food-insecurity#:~:text=A%20definition%20of%20food%20insecurity&text=More%20than%2034%20million%20people,insecurity%20in%20the%20United%20States.

- So I live in the US. I have 2 friends that got scurvy in 2017. How did they get scurvy you might ask? Let me tell you. They live about 30 mins from the grocery store in a car. Which they don’t have. The closest person that can take them grocery shopping lives about 2 hours away. Plus they’re poor as shit.
  To save money they spent 3 months eating nothing but homemade biscuits (scones for non Americans). The lack of vitamin c gave them scurvy.
  They live on a fixed income. My state tightened requirements for food stamps. They were fucked.
  I will say that the UN came to my state several years ago. They literally called it the 3rd world and said it was the most impoverished place in the developed world. So, there’s that.
- Rice and beans, baby! It's a world wide staple for a reason.
- Until you realize that some people are soon poor, they may be lucky to have a microwave, let alone a stovetop/cooking pots, pans.
- Because that's the same as the intersection of poor and "working more than one job, has no time to cook, and can't afford lots of kitchen gadgets"
Also cooking takes time. I make dinner every night and even with previously prepped things it's usually 20-30min every evening. If I worked 2 jobs (12-16hr) I wouldn't have the time nor energy, either.
- Now throw in a being a single parent!
  I honestly don't know how people do it. When my wife's out of town for a week, nothing gets done beyond basic survival. I don't have time to do any other chores, and I only work 1 job.
- Seriously, do one big dinner every Sunday and freeze enough portions for the rest of the week. Healthy, delicious, cheap and saves time on weekdays.
- Now that I work 12 hour shifts 5 days a week... I only cook on the weekends. I try to make a bigger meal that saves well though. Chili, etc. after that's gone just easier things like sandwiches until the next weekend.
- This week I've had my eyes opened to batch cooking. We were a bit skint (not poverty line skint) and working opposite shifts to each other, so for time and money we bought in ingredients for lasagne and chilli and made a massive batch of each on Sunday.
  All week I've been taking the chilli to work and the family have been microwaving the batches when Wifey finishes work.
  Cost me 50% of my usual food budget this week, and we still got in all the usual stuff for lunches with fruit and such.
  Downside was Wifey overcooked the lasagne, so it can be a gamble I guess, but I will certainly be making a massive batch of Chilli in the future
This person has blown money not getting the store brand. Driving farther to get real food cannot be that much more expensive, but let’s say it’s even $4 more. You’d get your money back buying a pound of apples. As someone who didn’t grow up with means, I know a lot of people with carts like this and it’s mostly just a history of bad choices.
- Food deserts are places more than 20 minutes away from a grocery store. So at least that's a 40 minute round trip if you have a car. And spoiler alert, most people living in poverty don't have reliable mods of travel. It's a proven fact that processed foods provides more calories for less than fresh produce. Two oreo cookies is more calories than a apple and they keep longer. Are there some people that make poor eating habits simply because they can, absolutely! But that's not what I'm talking about. Please don't demonize people for the failings of our society.
- mostly just a history of bad choices
  What a weird way to spell "chronically overstressed".
… rice, beans, and a $15 rice cooker?
I’m as lazy as they get in the kitchen. If I can’t throw it in a pot, walk away, and walk back to food then it’s too much effort.
Rice and beans is cheap, quick, and easy.
That's all part of the problem though, isn't it?
I live in central Europe and veggies and fruit are one of the first things, you see when you enter a store. They're also really affordable and you can get them in pretty much every corner store all over the town as well. There isn't a place where basic fruit and veggies are more than 15 minutes walking/public transit distance from you within the city. Never had to drive to a grocery store in my life. Some places are even open at night.
Let's not blame the people for eating like this, when that's exactly what the system is set up for.
- But it’s not though. Many people on Lemmy act like the US is some evil cabal trying to kill its citizens. No. The area is just big af. People went west and were mostly self-sufficient (with regards to food production before anyone starts getting angry). Now that people aren’t self-sufficient anymore, instead of moving closer they stay put, but there’s so few people that a business can’t sustain itself. I understand some people can’t afford to move, but some people are unwilling to
- But it’s not though. Many people on Lemmy act like the US is some evil cabal trying to kill its citizens. No. The area is just big af. People went west and were mostly self-sufficient (with regards to food production before anyone starts getting angry). Now that people aren’t self-sufficient anymore, instead of moving closer they stay put, but there’s so few people that a business can’t sustain itself. I understand some people can’t afford to move, but some people are unwilling to
On a poverty budget a plant based diet is healthier and vastly cheaper. A bag of rice and a bag of beans is cheap.
Lol this is complete bullshit. What a clown.
I see you watched the Wendover Productions video.
- Yes, but I lived it long before watching the video. Growing up my neighborhood was literally isolated for all the surrounding grocery stores. The poor side of town was on the west side of a major highway and all the grocery stores were on the east side. But strangly enough the west side has less on ramps to the highway and even fewer bridges to get to the other side. So you had to drive an extra 20 min just to cross from west to east. But east to west was literally 2 min. A lawsuit eventually got that "fixed" but it shows malicious intent by those in power.
I can't believe that's the best option, snacks and some weird pre made stuff

If anyone is actually on the struggle bus don't get ramen. Get rice. Buy the biggest fucking bag of rice from the local Asian store you can find. You can make enough rice to last multiple days in one sitting and the bag will last you several months to a year depending on if you have family or not

If you can spring for it buy some high protein beans or lentils or some other legume and mix them, almost every society on the planet no matter the geography invented rice and beans because it's so damn easy to store for long periods of time and will get you the protein and calories you need to survive.
Is it fun? No. But it will get you fed and it's an excellent base to throw in other things to spice it up. Get a little extra money and can afford a bit of meat and veggies? Sauteed them up and you get a full blown meal with a side dish and a porkchop/fish filet/chicken breast with your rice.
- Wait, rice and beans isn't fun? It requires some extra seasonings but Carrib style rice and peas are my jam. Though it does have a Lotta aromatics.
- Half way into it I was like.. "yeah yeah yeah that's our staple food! It's very ni.."
  "Is it fun? No." Had me question everything in life thus far. 🤣
The price of rice is pretty high right now. It's still a good value, especially in bulk, but it's not as cheap as it used to be.
- Only gonna get higher, so buy now.
Make sure to put the rice in a freezer if you're going to store it for a long time. This is important to prevent bugs, especially in hot and damp weather. If that's not possible, sprinkle some dried chilis or peppers.
- As in the cooked rice or the dry stuff?

All that produce fresh from the factory!

- Cactus

Have you tried buying food instead of whatever the fuck this garbage is?

That’s my thought as well. They NEED to buy the name brand items as well?
There are PLENTY of corners that can be cut, as well as buying items that can be made into larger meals (soups, pastas, etc.) that reheat well.
Whoever this person was needs to rethink their wants and needs, then shop accordingly to their budget.
- It's a joke.

Why are there only ready made, highly processed snacks and ~~zero~~ almost no ingredients for cooking meals?

This is upbringing and education. If you grow up in a household that eats well and values food and cooking at home surely it’ll make a difference. I wouldn’t solely blame this on the individual. America sells junk food way too aggressively and way too much. I reckon there needs to be restrictions on that and even heavier taxes on junk food.
- That's 70% horse shit.
  With everyone in the house being over worked and under paid, everyone is too exhausted to spend the time to actually cook.
- Upbringing, education and availability. There are towns in the US where the only grocery store within 20 miles is a Dollar General, creating food deserts.
There's ground beef there
- Yeah, ok. That is just one product though and my point is not really touched by it.
- That's for the Hamburger Helper
Because $200 worth of real food would be about a quarter of that in America.

If you're on a budget this is such a horrible cart... not to mention so unhealthy. I guess most of it doesn't go bad quickly at least... only positive.

That was the point of the picture ...

guys, this is a joke post

Yet it is still bringing out all the bots and trolls.

My stomach hurts just looking at it.

You are weak and your bloodline is weak, instead of sugary sweet like God intended when he invented high fructose corn syrup

Average moderator shopping cart.

I would bet most of the weight in that cart is sugar, salt and plastic.

And corn
Plastic is way too light to hit the top 3, it's probably water or some form of fat.
I would've guessed metal

Could be twice the amount when getting store brands instead of luxury brands.

While your point is well taken, luxury brands?
- luxury brands?
  When the product isn't really that good but you pay a lot more just because there's "Oreo's" written on the product for example.

Americans are scared to touch a bean.

Diabeetus be like: Don't worry, it won't be long to wait.

And that's exactly where the billionaires and ruling class want you.

Over the last 10 years or so, some kinds of convenience foods have gone up a lot. Like some types of

"value meal" is over $10. That's a bad scene if you have several people to feed.

You can beat that by cooking your own, but if you have been working a 12 hour shift that is a harsh scenario.

It just seems like people, and I'm referring to the U.S., getting food should not be such a press.

The big problem is convenience is being shoved down our throats.
10 Years back, what was there that was convenient? Bread and then stack something on it.
Now every brand is trying to shove "REALLY EASY AND FAST MEAL FOR WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE 20 SECONDS TO EAT" down yours.
20 Years ago we just cooked and if it had to be quick we cooked something small.
- So if you enter a grocrry store in the us two huge strong guys immediately grab you and force garbage down your throat? And the beat you until you buy some more garbage and if you so much as look into the direction of vegetables or legumes immediately shoot you?
  Come the fuck on
  People are freely choosing to buy this garbage
- I somewhat agree but your time scale is way off.
  At least in the US, it's been exactly this way for at least the last 20-30 years. 20 years ago was 2003, if you showed me this photo and told me it was from the turn of the millennium I wouldn't bat an eye. The 90s was crazy with all these fast brands and snacks. Everyone's freezer was filled with totinos pizza rolls.
  Arguably longer to be honest. I can't remember a time where frozen microwave junk food didn't dominate the grocery stores and TV advertising. I wouldn't hesitate to believe an argument that it's been like this since the early 70s but assume it happened sometime in the 80s when the stay-at-home housewife transitioned to the career-focused woman.

No automatic assault rifle to be seen. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

Uk an automatic rifle costs like $10k right?
- Yes. And memes should be fun, right?

Looks like a troll to me

Yeah it's all garbage name brand junk food

Russian DIY only!

Looks like around $30 - $40 worth of ingredients

Ain’t no way that’s 200 bucks

No wonder u guys fat and stupid. U eat exclusively junk food.

Ooo, I haven't had Velveeta in like 20 years. Now I'm going to go and eat a whole block of it, and I refuse to shoulder any of the blame or responsibility for that!

Like... just the Velveeta?
- No. No, no, no, no, no.
  No no no no no no no no
  Noooooooooooooooo no no
  ... ... ... ...
  Yes.

This is what my Dad's shopping cart would look like when I was a kid (well, less sweets and chips, more canned food). He would always work 68 hour weeks, so really didn't have the time and energy to cook for me and him. He would only cook on holidays.

Luckily, he now has a stay-at-home wife that likes to cook, and I don't have to work those kinds of hours, so neither of us eat like that anymore.

No, you really can't.

This is yet another one of those arguments where somehow EVERYBODY ELSE is guilty but NOT ME, ohhhh no not me. I'm perfect. Haha /s