Can You Eat Organic On Food Stamps?

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Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Jennifer Grayson, the Huffington Post:

Question:

In the past two years, I lost my job, ran out of unemployment...long story short, I'm now on food stamps. Any tips for how I can still eat healthy and maybe organic? (I used to buy organic when I had money.) I don't want to live on junk food.

-Jared

Answer:

First off, I'm so sorry to hear that you're struggling right now. But you're in good, though probably far from gleeful, company: More than one in seven American households now relies on food stamps. That's up over 58 percent since the start of the recession.

Not surprisingly, with so may people on public assistance, much of the stigma associated with government subsidies has disappeared. Last year, Salon.com ran a feature about hipsters using food stamps to supplement their diet with roasted rabbit and triple-crème brie. This, however, is not one of those articles.

Eating healthy -- even organic -- shouldn't be viewed as a privilege for the liberal elite. In fact, it should be common sense. Throughout the course of human history, people weathered tough times by planting edible gardens on what little land they had and stretching out their limited meat supply with beans and whole grains. Now they waddle up to (or drive through) the nearest fast food establishment and order a double cheeseburger and fries.

I may sound insensitive, but I'm speaking (or rather, writing) the truth: The less money you have in the United States, the more likely you are to be overweight. Cheap food is crap food, thanks to an agricultural policy that subsidizes commodity crops like corn and soybeans. We have come to blindly accept that a bunch of carrots costs more than a king-size candy bar.

It should come as no surprise, then, that many states permit fast food establishments from KFC to Domino's to accept EBT cards (the modern day debit-card version of food stamps). After all, this is what we expect poor people to eat; being skinny is a luxury for those with macrobiotic food delivery services and regular Pilates sessions.

So when it comes to eating healthy on food stamps, the odds are stacked against you. To maximize your money, I suggest focusing first on unprocessed, locally grown foods rather than organic, per se. But if you're determined to eat organic -- whether to reduce pesticide exposure or do your part for the planet -- I still say it's doable. It will, however, take a bit of effort on your part.

(How do I know what it takes to stretch those food dollars? Disclosure: I have a close family member who is currently on food stamps. I was also raised by a single mom who cooked healthy homemade dinners every night, despite a full-time job and a sometimes below-the-poverty-line income.)

For starters, with the average benefit per person nationwide at just over $33 a week, you're going to have to change your notion of what it means to eat organic. Microgreens, goji berry smoothies, and line-caught salmon may be out of reach, but that doesn't mean you can't eat a well-rounded -- even delicious -- diet. Here's what you need to know:

Learn how to cook, if you don't know how to already (unemployed = more time on your hands). Organic packaged/prepared foods waste precious funds; a home-cooked meal is almost always more nutritious, anyway.

Think inexpensive sources of protein like tofu and eggs. Learn how to use dried beans, and a $2.99 bag of organic lentils will serve up soup for several days. If you're a meat-eater, look for a cheap cut on sale and use it more as a condiment than the main event.

Shop in bulk and you'll save even more money on staples like nuts, beans, and grains. My local market sells organic oats in the bulk bin section for 89 cents a pound -- that's an entire week's worth of belly-filling breakfasts.

Remember the clean 15 and you can avoid pesticide exposure without actually buying organic; these conventional fruits and veggies are sprayed the least. Conventional onions top the list, so pinch extra pennies by buying these for your aforementioned lentil soup.

Look to the hundreds of farmers markets around the country that now accept food stamp benefits. Bonus: Get the most bang for your buck by shopping near closing time, when most farmers offer their end-of-day specials.

Don't overlook classic budget meals like a good old-fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Stick to natural, no-sugar peanut butter on whole wheat bread, throw in an organic apple, and you've got a nutritious, plant-based lunch that will also cut your carbon footprint.

Next column, I'll be heading to the market to take these tips to the test. Stay tuned!

Jennifer is The Huffington Post's Miss Eco Etiquette and founding editor of The Red, White, and Green. This post was originally featured on the Huffington Post. Follow Jennifer Grayson on Twitter.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not necessarily those of
Healthy Child Healthy World

Posted by Natasha on 10/30/2011 at 11:18 PM

I am a sixteen year old girl doing a year long project on food stamps and I was very touched by your article. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Posted by Emmy on 06/20/2011 at 01:26 PM

Organic really isn’t all it is made up to be! They really rip you off on how much they pay but I guess if you were able to get it with food stamps that would be great.

Posted by melissa on 03/24/2011 at 12:51 PM

I don’t think you mentioned one very exciting development: many farmers markets (at least 160 at last count) in 12 states accept SNAP money, usually in the form of a debit card. And it gets better, through the Wholesome Wave non-profit, many food stamp users can get double their money at some farmers markets, using their SNAP dollars.

Posted by Jenn Jackson, MPH on 03/11/2011 at 08:28 AM

This is one of my favorite posts on this topic, well, ever! Not only are they timely and novel, but incredibly practical, as well! I look forward to your follow up post on putting these tips into action! Thank you for sharing this beautiful piece.

Posted by Dr. Holly Clemens on 03/08/2011 at 10:33 AM

Jennifer I am so impressed with your article. It is no surprise that obesity and disease lives in the poverty stricken communities in the U.S. If you are reading this article it means you have taken the extra step to save money for your family and to strive for environment of health for your family. Give yourselves a pat on the back for your incredible efforts and keep striving to build a temple of health in your body and in your children. At our office I always suggest getting plugged into a local produce share. You can get local grown fruits and vegetables weekly at a reduced and reasonable rate. Also many of the local grocery stores will take food stamps for organic produce. Use the clean fifteen and dirty dozen post to make educated decisions on your purchases. Keep up the great work!

Posted by Ellen Jaffe Jones on 03/01/2011 at 08:23 PM

As a former financial consultant and former TV consumer/investigative reporter, I’ve been eating plants to avoid the huge family history that gave my mom, aunt and both sisters breast cancer among most other preventable diseases. I’ve been determined to get this information out for years. I finally found a publisher and my book, Eat Vegan on $4 a Day, will be out later this year. Not only is it possible, but the dollars saved in health care costs make eating this way a national priority.

Oh yeah, I ran my first marathon last December, and was the 5th oldest woman to finish the Palm Beaches Marathon. My 800 and 1500 meter times in the Senior Games this past weekend put me in the top 10 times for the most recent national games. Why doesn’t someone research why people like me don’t get the diseases that have killed and maimed my family? Because there’s no money in broccoli and there’s no broccoli lobby. But I’m available for research if anyone’s out there…

Posted by Jessica @ Clothdiaperingmama on 03/01/2011 at 11:42 AM

I love how you emphasise that cooking fresh (when you have extra time) is always more economical than buying prepared food! Oatmeal is one of the forgotten breakfast foods…delicious and nutritious :) I think I’ll have some tomorrow!

Posted by Toy on 03/01/2011 at 10:25 AM

I really enjoyed this article. My family is not on Food Stamps, but we have a very limited budget. It is a challenge to eat organic on sometimes $60 per week. Trader Joe’s and the bulk section at Whole Foods have been our staple. Organic beans, oatmeal, brown rice and even spices (buying only what you need). Organic pasta and sauce, peanut butter and other staples, as well as organic fruits and veggies can be bought at Trader Joe’s.

We are not vegetarian, but eating grass-fed beef and free range chicken is not in the budget everyday, they are treats. By eating fresh, organic veggies that are on sale and freezing them, we are able to enjoy them everyday.

We make laundry detergent and dish soap (search the internet - it’s super easy and super cheap). This gives more money for other things; for our family, this equals activities for the kids.

It takes planning and patience, but the benefits totally outweigh anything else. It is totally possible to eat healthy and chemical-free.

GOD bless you!

Posted by Tiffany on 03/01/2011 at 09:41 AM

A few more ideas to stretch your dollar the most when buying organic:

1. Buy frozen organic veggies. I’ve found Costco has the best $ per pound. However Costco often is not the cheapest - just happens to be for frozen veggies.

2. Stock up on sale prices. For example, our local natural foods market has organic chicken on sale for $3.99/lb right now. That’s the time to buy as much as you can afford and store.

3. Use coupons, especially when the same item is already on sale. I promise coupons are out there for organic foods. I often get organic foods for $1 or less using this method. There are several blogs that will show how this works, I like savingnaturally.com.

4. Our local grocery outlet carries a lot of organic foods at a huge discount.

5. Plan ahead. Go through your freezer and pantry to find out what you already have and plan to use that first. Look through the grocery ads for what’s on sale and use those items in your menu plan for the week, as well.

I was able to drop our grocery budget by over $100/month by using these methods and we eat primarily organic.

Posted by Toni on 03/01/2011 at 09:13 AM

These are some great tips! And, yes, you can eat healthy on food stamps. I know because we do it!! It’s not always easy. The amount we receive is not nearly enough, and we often supplement it with additional money from our budget. But it does help tremendously. Our local Holistic Moms Network chapter recently held a meeting about being green on a budget, and there were some great tips shared; we posted them on our blog at http://hmnmidlands.blogspot.com.

Posted by Johnny Pedontist on 03/01/2011 at 04:54 AM

How about growing some of your own…not necessarily fruit due to limited space? However, organic herbs and vegetables in a small window box or similar container might just do the trick!

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