Martin Fisher

There is some SFSP availability here in Chemung County but it's not easily accessible for everyone — there's nothing in my immediate area nor several other areas in the county. Nothing at all available 25 miles south in rural PA where I grew up.

Bottled water can be purchased with SNAP benefits.

Depends on the type of soup. For fresher soups like tomato and basil I use my method here to minimize cooking. For cream of tomato and other rich soups I prefer the tomatoes be somewhat caramelized.

Not here.

I don't think anyone wants to see children starve. Most kids seem to survive just fine without school breakfast or lunch during summer break which is 2-1/2 to 3 months. Where does that food come from? For the needy — SNAP, charity (food banks.etc.)

The full report is here. Unfortunately it's an analysis that includes both cash and SNAP food/beverage purchases. There's no study (that I know of) that looks at just SNAP purchases and their effect on health.

I agree but it''s a harder sell than other sweet beverages.

Interesting report.... "...health experts are raising questions about whether it makes sense to allow SNAP purchases for unhealthy products such as soda and candy. Advocates are also looking for ways to incentivize healthy food purchases. While much attention has focused on how farm subsidies fuel our cheap, unhealthy food supply, SNAP represents the largest, most overlooked corporate subsidy in the farm bill." "This report examines what we know (and don’t know) about how food manufacturers, food retailers, and banks benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps)." Food Stamps: Follow the Money

Philadelphia's new beverage tax imposes a 1.5 cent per ounce tax on sweetened beverages. That's bad news for struggling SNAP folks who choose to buy such. That's $2.16 per 12-pack or $1.01 per 2-liter. More money from a limited budget that won't go toward nutritious food. Sad! Philadelphia's definition: "What is taxed The tax is not just on sodas. This tax is on any non-alcoholic beverage, syrup, or other concentrate used to prepare a beverage that lists as an ingredient any form of caloric sugar-based sweetener, including, but not limited to sucrose, glucose, or high fructose corn syrup.Drinks considered “diet” or “zero calorie” are also taxed. Specifically, this tax is on any non-alcoholic beverage, syrup or other concentrate used to prepare a beverage that lists any form of artificial sugar substitute, including stevia, aspartame, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), saccharin, and advantame." "While concentrates or syrups are also taxed, their tax rate is based on the final beverage produced, not the raw syrup or concentrate." "Examples of sweetened beverages Soda (regular and diet); non-100%-fruit drinks; sports drinks; sweetened water; energy drinks; pre-sweetened coffee or tea; and non-alcoholic beverages intended to be mixed into an alcoholic drink." Philadelphia Beverage Tax

Perhaps a standard similar to what's mentioned in the referenced paper above. "The proposal, more exactly, is to exclude sweetened beverages containing more than 10 calories per cup, excluding fruit juice without added sugar, milk products, and milk substitutes."

Many of us have.

The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung in Toronto is also very interesting. It's as much, or more, about the causes of weight gain as it is how to reverse it. He cites some compelling research.

I don't think caffeine is an important 'nutrient.'

We all live in different circumstances and I did say 'relatively short', meaning 12 to 24 hours. I don't need condensation build-up in this small house.

Possibly something balcony style!? A rectangular floor window surrounded by a railing.

No!!!!

FWIW... The case for and objections against excluding sweetened beverages from SNAP. "Impact and Ethics of Excluding Sweetened Beverages From the SNAP Program, Anne Barnhill, PhD" "Funding SNAP participants' purchase and consumption of sweetened beverages does not further SNAP's primary aims, which are to alleviate hunger and improve the nutrition and health of low-income people. Sweetened beverages do not alleviate hunger because they do not satiate.9 Nor do sweetened beverages improve nutrition, because they have minimal nutritional value.10 The addition of sweetened beverages simply makes the diets of SNAP participants worse by adding excess calories and sugar, which contribute to overweight, obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases."

Can't you just replace the top? I know a couple parties who have. One top was pitted, the other was broken when a dummy stepped on it to do some cleaning!

No, merchandise is priced like Walmart, not a dollar or less like Dollar Tree and the like.

Quite a few items. Milk, bread, eggs, frozen ground beef, sausage, canned tuna, canned mackerel, canned sardines, dry noodles, spaghetti sauce, Alfredo sauce, all basic baking ingredients, biscuit mix, many Mexican or Tex-Mex products, canned fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, cereal, condiments, pickles, olives, coffee, tea, etc.

I eat out rarely, order in rarely and very rarely eat commercial pre-prepared foods. Most meals are made from 'scratch.' I do a lot of intermittent fasting so I often only eat about one meal per day.

FWIW, Pinetree offered free shipping around Christmas time. Next year I plan to have my order ready and hope they do the same. Fedco ships seed orders of $30 and over for free.

I'm definitely not for shaming the poor, I'm for better nutrition for the poor. I've lived it. I grew up in a rural area, I've never had a drivers license and I've always been poor mostly due to medical issues. Where I live now Dollar General is the closest store that sells 'groceries' — it's within walking distance. You're right about the fresh meat and produce but they do have plenty of other foods that aren't generally considered junk.

A hot ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken and the like can't be purchased with SNAP, but soft drinks, candy, potato chips, etc. can. What sense does that make? Seems to me the opposite should be the case if folks are in dire straits and can't cook for whatever reason.