Re: ACTIVIST PLANS LOW-CARB DIET ON FOOD STAMP BUDGET

[Guest guest]

Do you think he's using sustainably raised animal products or is this

a vote in favor of how factory-farms cheap foods are the solution to

poverty? I'll look at his blog. Hmmm. " All-natural beef " he said

and no mention of whether the turkey he ate was from a CAFO.

Some states have food stamp programs where they can use the food

stamps in farmer's markets. I wonder if it extends to buying bulk

meat like 1/8 of a steer. That way people on food stamps could

probably afford to eat sustainably raised meats on a paleo-type diet,

even.

Still, around here most people walk out the door of the place where

they pick up their food stamps and trade them for cash at about 2/3

the value. They'd rather spend their money on what they want and

avoid the embarrassment in the checkout line. I don't know what

those guys who buy up all the food stamps do with them, maybe supply

restaurants?? The poor around here seem to feed their kids " hugs " -

sugar water basically, and chips. I think it's what is cheap in the

corner stores. Not all of them are so unwise, but it is a big

problem.

>

> Plucked this from the Chapter Leaders List

>

> _________

>

> Last year, Colorado resident and blogger Ari Armstrong set out to

show the

> types of purchases one could make on the government's food stamp

budget at

> less than $3 per person per day with his Food

> <http://www.freecolorado.com/2007/06/sixmonthchallenge.html> Economy

> <http://www.freecolorado.com/2007/07/prosperitychallenge.html>

Challenge

> <http://www.freecolorado.com/2007/08/challenge.html> . Ari is at it

again!

> He will now show how it's possible to eat a " low carb " diet --

generally

> heavy in nutrient dense foods and often claimed to be too expensive

for the

> poor -- on the government's new food stamp allotment of $4.74 per

person per

> day:

>

> MEDIA RELEASE

>

> ACTIVIST PLANS LOW-CARB DIET ON FOOD STAMP BUDGET

> New Diet Protests Food Stamp Increases

>

> A healthy diet is achievable on a food stamp budget, and Ari

> Armstrong plans to prove it, again. Armstrong, who previously spent

a

> month eating for $2.57 per day -- see http://tinyurl.com/c35e8q --

> will spend February 4-10 eating a highly nutritious, low-carb diet

> for less than food stamps provide.

>

> Armstrong said, " Not only has Congress increased the food stamp

> budget since my $2.57 per day diet, but the so-called 'stimulus'

> package calls for additional food-stamp funds. Enough is enough. I

> oppose any increases to the food stamp budget, and call for the

> program to be replaced with voluntarily funded food banks, which

> offer more nutritious food at lower cost. "

>

> Armstrong's new diet, unlike his previous one, will be low-carb,

> roughly following the advice of such writers as Taubes and

> similar to " paleo " or " cave-man " diets. The diet will consist of

> meat, dairy, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, olive oil, chocolate,

and

> spices. It will not contain any grains, vegetable oils, hydrogenated

> fat, potatoes, or processed sugar.

>

> Armstrong will limit his daily budget to $4.74 per day, less than

> food stamps provide to a single individual. The Department of

> Agriculture -- see http://www.fns.usda.gov/FSP/

> <http://www.fns.usda.gov/FSP/faqs.htm> faqs.htm -- offers a

> family of four $588 per month, or $4.74 per person per day. (The

food

> stamp allotment is reduced for those deemed able to fund some of

> their own food.) Armstrong will not accept any free food, and he

will

> shop only at nearby regular grocery stores. He will track all his

> purchases and receipts at FreeColorado.com.

>

> " With the previous diet, my goal was to minimize daily expenses.

With

> the new diet my goal is to show that a very healthy diet is possible

> on a limited budget. The cost of my diet will actually be inflated,

> not only because I'll be eating no free food, but because a week's

> diet is not able to take advantage of bulk purchases of sales

items, "

> Armstrong pointed out. " I've been known to purchase 40 pounds of

> bananas, a dozen squash, or twenty pounds of meat when they're on

> sale; obviously that's not possible for a single week. "

>

> Part of the motivation to track the new diet was a recent CNN report

> -- see http://tinyurl.com/d2lb5g -- in which a woman on food stamps

> complains, " We get like the mac and cheese, which is dehydrated

> cheese -- basically food that's no good for you health wise...

> Everything is high in sodium and trans fats... and that's all we

> basically can afford. There's not enough assistance to eat healthy

> and maintain a healthy weight. "

>

> Armstrong replied, " That's nonsense, and I'm prepared to prove it.

> I'm frankly irritated that some food stamp recipients waste our tax

> dollars on overpriced junk food, then complain about their grocery

> budget. I'll make the following offer. For anybody on food stamps

who

> complains that they can't afford good food, I'll be more than happy

> to evaluate your entire monthly budget, including your grocery

> budget, and recommend judicious cuts, limited to the first five

> people who reply. "

>

> This ought to provide some wonderful evidence to contradict the

claims of

> those suggesting that a food stamp budget doesn't allow them to eat

> healthily. Kudos to Ari for initiating the new Food Stamp Challenge!

> _____

>

>

>

> --

> It doesn't matter how many people don't get it. What matters is how

> many people do. If you have a strong informed opinion, don't keep it

> to yourself. Try and help people and make the world a better place.

If

> you strive to do anything remotely interesting, just expect a small

> percentage of the population to always find a way to take it

> personally. F*ck 'em. There are no statues erected to critics.

>

> - Ferriss

>