My friend Irene, a hardworking single mother who also cuts my hair, is an absolute inspiration to me and I’m sure many others fortunate enough to cross her path.
Moms like Irene silence all the naysayers like Dr. Oz who claim that it isn’t possible to eat healthy on a very tight budget or that those who eat organic are elitist.
You see, Irene is on food stamps.
Irene’s situation is not at all rare anymore. Â The number of Americans on food stamps, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as it is now called, has increased by 260% since 2000. Â In a more sobering statistic, the actual number of people relying on food stamps to eat has increased from 17.1 million in 2000 to over 44 million in 2011.
Despite Irene’s challenging budget which includes food stamps, she manages to buy nearly everything local and/or organic to prepare the healthy, homemade meals she prepares.
How?
By refusing to settle for anything less than the best for herself and her son and by using creativity and street smarts to carefully plan and implement her food stamps budget strategy.
When you demand the best and refuse to settle, as Irene does, the world frequently seems to open up to you with opportunities and people necessary to fulfill your goal suddenly coming across your path.
Irene also gets competent alternative medical care by shrewdly trading hairdresser services for routine chiropractic care which has prevented her family from requiring any conventional medical treatment or antibiotics or other drugs for quite some time.
How does Irene do it? Â How does she manage to source only the most nutrient-dense foods for her family including more expensive, gourmet items like grass-fed raw milk and butter while on food stamps?
The brilliance of Irene’s food stamps budget plan is in its incredible simplicity.
- Irene has learned which farmer’s markets around town accept food stamps and so she buys much of her produce at these venues. Â She also buys fresh, locally made, artisanal bread at the farmer’s market. Â Yes, it’s true! Â You can use food stamps at many farmer’s markets if you just ask around!
- Irene buys her grass-fed meats and bones to make stock at Whole Foods. Â Did you know Whole Foods takes food stamps? Â Another option would be for Irene to split a cow sourced at a local grass-based farm with one or two friends. Â This may present itself as an option for Irene in the future, but for now, Whole Foods is the best stand-in source for her meats given her limited time and storage space.
- Irene has figured out which health food stores carry what organic brands at the best prices. Â She uses her food stamps to buy foods like freshly ground almond butter, raw honey, cheese, and other staple items this way.
- Irene uses the food funds she is able to contribute herself for raw dairy which is not covered by food stamps (although I do know of one other friend in town who is able to buy raw goat milk with food stamps because she is allergic to cow milk).
- If Irene finds that she must buy something at the supermarket, she makes sure that it is a low spray item like asparagus or a GMO-free item based on an analysis of the ingredients label.
Hat’s off to Irene for showing us all how to eat healthy during hard economic times. Â Her refusal to accept anything less than the best, nutrient dense fare for herself and her family is the line in the sand that opens the door to solutions.
Well done Irene!
Are you on a food stamps budget too? Â What are your tricks for eating healthy, local, and/or organic despite this challenge? Â Please share to inspire those who may be facing a similar situation.
My husband and I are retired and get $75/month foodstamps, with $1300/mo total income. We don’t use a/c and heat (no, we’re not in FL, we’re in NC) and cut corners every way we can to be able to eat period. Doctors or any medical care is out of the question, at least for me, as I’m not old enough for medicare. I never have made a habit of using doctors anyway. Our farmers’ market people do not accept food stamps, I use my food stamps in the supermarket/TJ’s/WholeFoods, etc when possible, for the very few items I purchase there. We eat lots of beans and rice, lol! Granted, we don’t eat as much food as when younger and have no little ones to feed, so that’s a blessing. No I don’t eat totally organic, but we do what we can. I’m not complaining, just stating that there are more and more folks out there who live like this. It is with the help of our God that it is possible to make it. I enjoy reading about how different people stretch their incomes. If we live within our means throughout our lives, then it’s easier when the means is less. You just do what you’ve got to do. Very timely article, it’s appreciated!
If youre someone looking just to lower their grocery bill, or if you spend money after/before food stamps run out anyway, bountiful baskets is an awesome way to go. The organic basket costs a little more and comes with a little less, but still blows grocery store prices out of the water. Even the stuff in the regular basket is carefully chosen. And if you volunteer regularly, you get a free basket (I dont remember how often.)
You go Angela Boblitt. Great insight.
Way to go Irene!
Sara – for me (and probably most people having qualms with this article) it has NOTHING to do with judgement on those using food stamps, not having compassion, or needing a walk in their shoes. The problem I have with the point of posting this article is that it is in an effort to rebuttal Dr. Oz’s belief that organic/local living is for the elite – this article only backs Dr. Oz – if I had never bought organic and thought I couldn’t afford it because I’m “middle income,” this perspective would solidify my thoughts. The author of this write up couldn’t afford organic/local living if it wasn’t for food stamps – making Dr. Oz’s point that this living isn’t for your regular joe.
People who have jobs with a family my size use tax payer money and spend double what we do to feed their families on food stamps. Food stamps should be reserved for the truly in need, it is grossly over used and I’ve seen it first hand. I’m sure this mom you wrote about truly needs it, but it does seem as though you are promoting/encouraging the use of food stamps for organic eating. We have 6 kids, we’ve always “qualified”, we’ve never used food stamps. We make different choices because we believe in free market and not big government. We make hard choices every day and we don’t make anyone else pay for feeding our family. It can be done. You should write an article as another perspective on how people can do this within a budget, not food stamps, just to show another option. The reason there are 46+ million people on them is not that we are in greater need than ever before, it’s that they make it so darn easy to get and to use.
Many middle class people aren’t middle class anymore. Factories have been closed and jobs outsourced. They’re trying despite the hard economic times. I know at least 3 people who lost jobs and traded homes downward. Read the foraging blogs…..many DO need foodstamps.
If you’re working, or have income, you get less in SNAP. NO ONE is getting rich off food stamps. Our food budget for a family of 4 is $270 a month, which is what we get in SNAP, plus some WIC coupons. My DH works, but makes little, and I am still unemployed.
BTW, people DO need them now. Or have you not noticed the economic decline, high unemployment, and the lack of living wage work? formerly middle class people are now among the working poor, even among the homeless. Please don’t judge.
Only In America do we have people complain about a person/family getting the tiny amount in FOOD that you get from SNAP, and how they dare to spend it. Look, everyone gets the same amount based on income/expenses, if one wants to eat organic, another wants junk, thats their business. We just love to begrudge the average person anything that might help them. (but tax breaks for profitable companies and billionaires, that’s cool, /snark)
I think snap is great and should be expanded, and think WIC is a lifesaver too. I would love to see some cooking classes to go with these programs, as most people don’t know how to cook the basics or bulk stuff.
You’ve said exactly what I think. Food stamps have gone mainstream and are now considered an entitlement. I too would like to see an article about people who are eating organic food on a low income who are not receiving food stamps. It would be most helpful if the article detailed each meal, including each ingredient and its cost. I’m searching the web for just such information. Money not squandered on processed food is money that can be saved and/or invested rather than spent on doctor bills to cure us of disease caused by eating non-real and fast food.
A simpler way of tracking the weekly or monthly food budget would be to print out the recipe for each meal made during the period and the total spent (keep the receipts). Menu planning, making a grocery list from the recipes, and going to the store/farmers market with that list is a must in order to control costs.
I think it’s hypocritical to criticize people on food stamps when you do not walk in their shoes, nor have a clue as to what their life is like. I highly doubt most on food stamps eating the way Sara’s friend does is bucking the system as it takes time and effort to eat WAP. While I would love for everyone to be able to afford to eat without govt assistance, maybe walk awhile in their shoes before passing such judgement. I’m not on food stamps, but fully appreciate this post and intend to lower my food bill using many of these ideas so I can save more for a rainy day and for other necessities. My hat goes off to everyone who has contributed insightful ways to eat local and organic- thank you for the tips and Merry Christmas. Oh yea, Dr Oz can bite me!
Thanks, Sara! I cannot stand people who judge others without having a clue what their lives are like. Sure there a few people who “scam the system”, but the majority need the assistance due to circumstances beyond their control. The people judging should simply be thankful that they obviously have never experienced a financial crisis in their lives that required assistance to feed their CHILDREN!
I find this disturbing.
Agree with others – very poor article. Only reinforces Dr. Oz’s point.
hooray for irene!
we are a homeschool family of 5 on 1 income, so are well acquainted w/budgeting. i watch sales and discounts carefully for better prices. i stalk the clearance areas for anything natural/ organic that is marked down-very helpful for homeopathics and body products. raw milk is illegal where we are, but we have worked that out by giving a friend “gas money”. 😉
eating well can be done if you try really hard.
i have also found that good food fills you up more, so there is not a need to buy a ton of SNACKS!!
If your priority is in your health and the health of your children than you can get in the groove of what works and where the deals are. We cut expenses everywhere else. I always said I would rather spend money on what I put in my body than what I wore on the outside. Plus medical bills go up when you aren’t giving your body what it needs with nutrition.