Make up / design a food basket to replace Food Stamps

[TMT Tactical]

Okay here is the criteria. This is for a family of 4. Single parent + baby + child 1 (2 to 6 yrs) + child 2 (6 to 13 yrs). All food must be grown in USA. All food must be packaged / supplied by USA companies. The food basket must be enough to last 1 month (same as SNAP). What would you put in the basket and how much?

 

[Sentry18]

I would start with condoms. Lots of condoms.

I would also stick with nutritionally dense foods with very very little "junk food". Which is not easy since 90% of what you can find in a grocery store is junk food.

 

[Sonya_6]

I would just do what our wise neighbors to the south do, and provide boxes with a handful of basic essentials. Instead of delivering the boxes to houses large store chains (i.e. walmart, ingles, whomever) could contract to pick them up at depots (on their own dime) and let the recipients retrieve them in store.

In the study, Naval Postgraduate School's Jesse Cunha looks at the Mexican government's food assistance program, known as Programa de Apoyo Alimentario (loosely translated to Food Aid Program, or PAL). "Participating households receive monthly transfers (trucked into the villages) consisting of ten common food items, such as corn flour, beans, rice, oil, and powdered milk," Cunha explains. "Eligibility for the program was determined through a means test, and take-up among eligible households was virtually universal."

 

[Sentry18]

I would just do what our wise neighbors to the south do, and provide boxes with a handful of basic essentials. Instead of delivering the boxes to houses large store chains (i.e. walmart, ingles, whomever) could contract to pick them up at depots (on their own dime) and let the recipients retrieve them in store.

We belong to a food co-op. If we elect to participate any given week, we have to sign up in advance and then stand in line at the back of a truck on Saturday at a predetermined time. If you sign up, you get a box or two, but you you may wait in line for a minute or 30 minutes or even longer, depending on how fast you get there and how many volunteers signed up to help (you have to help at least 6 times per year). The food we receive is all organic (allegedly) produce that has been selected by the food co-op and all grown in the US, much of it locally. We pay only a fraction of what the same produce would cost us at a grocery or box store. Sounds similar to what you are talking about and is all healthy food that benefits both the American producers and consumers. If we can do it with produce, it can be done with other products too.

 

[Caribou]

I'd make it a weekly box with fresh produce and dairy. Enough frozen chicken or ground beef for one meal of protein per day. Rice and dried beans. A pound of salt a couple of times a year.

Everybody would have an assigned day. If you don't show up on time on the right day, we'll see you next week.

 

[Sourdough]

and let the recipients retrieve them in store.

How would they get to this Walmart thingie........??? You do understand that people live hundreds of miles from any Walmart thingie.......??? You do understand it would cost a few thousand dollars a month for air fare for bush-rural-village Alaska residents to fly (yep.....no roads) into Los'Anchorage to the Walmart thingie, so they can fetch their box of food........???

 

[TMT Tactical]

How would they get to this Walmart thingie........??? You do understand that people live hundreds of miles from any Walmart thingie.......??? You do understand it would cost a few thousand dollars a month for air fare for bush-rural-village Alaska residents to fly (yep.....no roads) into Los'Anchorage to the Walmart thingie, so they can fetch their box of food........???

Now you have raised an interesting point. How would you handle wilderness folks on SNAP with food baskets? That situation did not cross my mind. Good Catch VP. So how do folks in the wilderness get their Food with Food Stamps?

 

[Sentry18]

Easy. If you live in the woods, live off the land. If you want the handout, figure out a way to get to an approved distribution center. Humanity has moved to where the food is since the dawn of man. Those who chose not to move died off or figured out how to come up with their own food. Natural selection at work.

Either that or we could mail them military MRE's at the end of their shelf life.

 

[Amish Heart]

If there were food lines again like during the depression, Americans would be shocked.

 

[Swing]

I did Angel Foods for a bit. I really liked it and used about 80% of what was in a box each time.

If I were to do a replacement box, ideally, it would have about 10 lbs of potatoes. Other veggies as in season. Flour for bread or biscuits or fry bread, Somehow some eggs, basic chicken flash frozen, some beef and bacon, sugar. About twice a year maybe salt, and pepper. And somewhere to teach people home ec (or what use to be taught at home.)

 

[Sourdough]

So how do folks in the wilderness get their Food with Food Stamps?

They order them from stores in the city, and have them mailed to them. We also have small business that are shopper/expeditors. At this point Amazon.com does not take Quest Cards for payments.

Now research "Bypass Mail".........and you will get a surprise. "Bypass Mail" is how things get shipped to the Bush or Bush Towns or Villages. Bypass Mail, is an insanely sweet deal, for everyone but the Government.

 

[Sourdough]

In Alaska you can buy ammo, fishing supplies, meat and fish processing supplies, trapping supplies, etc. on your Quest (Food Stamp) Card. You can also put the cost of shipping food stamp orders on your quest card, and the fee the grocery store charges to shop for you, and box your order, and deliver it to the USPS that and the postage can go on the Quest Card. Stores charge 10% to 20% fee to put your order together and deliver it to the Shipper or USPS, goes on the Quest Card. If an "Expediter" gets involved with the air freight, that fee also goes on the Quest Card.

The USPS will not allow frozen food or other food products in the mail system, so those thing need to be expedited to the Airport. That fee can go on the Quest Card.

 

[TMT Tactical]

VP, Your posts are certainly an eye opener. The BYPASS system is ridiculous. Wide screen tv's, or any other items under 1,000 pounds (not a typo folks) are considered mail, not parcels. As for the Quest card, I am afraid to investigate that, based on your post. I think I would blow a gasket. This is the type of information the mainlanders (me) would really like to know more. Since I did not have a clue about this arrangement or about the Quest system, I would be very interested in your view of these systems and maybe a suggestion how they could be improved. I was completely amazed when I followed your suggestion to check out "Bypass Mail". Mind blowing. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[ssonb]

For certain select recipient 's I would like to send a "basket"full of shovels,rakes hammers,nails,hoes plus other assorted hand tools

 

[Amish Heart]

I'm with you on the teaching home ec, Angie. A few years ago I gave some free weekend classes at our preschool, using out commercial kitchen. I invited the parents. A number of them are low income, on SNAP, and a few of the classes revolved around what to do with a bag of flour. Also did basic water bath canning, and seed planting. These parents were not stretching their SNAP money well. All premade highly processed foods. You should of seem their kids lunches they brought to school. Off that topic, but when traveling through the panhandle, and making our way to our farm, there is a Krogers Store we stop at, get gas, use the restroom. They have an end cap aisle that I like right when you come in. They print out easy main meal recipes, free for the taking (usually about 3) and the shelving there sells all the ingredients to make it. They try to utilize items on sale. Easy.

 

[Caribou]

Now you have raised an interesting point. How would you handle wilderness folks on SNAP with food baskets? That situation did not cross my mind. Good Catch VP. So how do folks in the wilderness get their Food with Food Stamps?

Village stores but they could fly in the boxes just as they do everything else.

Easy. If you live in the woods, live off the land. If you want the handout, figure out a way to get to an approved distribution center. Humanity has moved to where the food is since the dawn of man. Those who chose not to move died off or figured out how to come up with their own food. Natural selection at work.

Either that or we could mail them military MRE's at the end of their shelf life.

The land in many areas will only support 1/3 of the current population due to modern health care and food supply. I like the MRE idea.

A lot of the businesses use bypass mail, I did.

 

[Sewingcreations15]

Agree with home ec classes too.

In the food basket I would put -
16kg Flour,4 dozen eggs, powdered eggs,4kg powdered milk, fresh milk 24lts,tinned cream, 4kg oats, 6kg ground beef, 6kg chicken, frozen vegetables, fresh in season cheap fruit, spices, salt, sauces, tinned fruit& vegetables,4lts shampoo, 4lts conditioner,16 soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes once every 6 months, sanitary items, stain remover, bleach, vinegar, 48rolls toilet paper,4lts dishwashing liquid, 4lts laundry detergent. I would put in a suggested meal plan, recipes and recommended portion sizes for all in the household to make it stretch the month.

 

[Sonya_6]

How would they get to this Walmart thingie........??? You do understand that people live hundreds of miles from any Walmart thingie.......??? You do understand it would cost a few thousand dollars a month for air fare for bush-rural-village Alaska residents to fly (yep.....no roads) into Los'Anchorage to the Walmart thingie, so they can fetch their box of food........???

Well right now they get EBT cards, not food deliveries, so they have to buy their EBT food somewhere. Where ever they normally get it can be the pick up point (within reason, the stores have to do their part).

Personally I would prefer to just issue EBT cards for ONLY very very basic items (perhaps gov supplied and sold at a fixed cost) that can be purchased at regular stores, but we know that won't work as the government will increase the list to a billion different things (which encourages welfare fraud, limiting the items is much better since there is not much black market value for pasta/rice/powdered milk and beans).

 

[Sunshine]

You have to take into account that some people have special dietary needs. Religious restrictions, etc.

For example. My son is 2 1/2, disabled and tube fed has stage 3 ckd, central diabetes insipidus, and failure to thrive. He needs a high calorie, low sodium, non dairy/soy, and has to stay away from certain proteins and high fiber foods. I use a blender to make his meals. Since he is disabled we qualify for a small amount of snap a month. I use it to buy organic avacado oil and coconut oils, fresh fruits and vegetables when in season and certain frozen fruits and vegetables. This stuff is expemexpe and I can't imagine trying to get him the correct macros to help him grow without harming his kidneys and sodium levels with boxed foods chosen buly someone who jhas no idea what my son's dietary needs are.

 

[Weedygarden]

When I was a young child, I lived with my grandparents. There were 7 people in the household, 3 adults and 4 children. We received commodities that included a little more than 100 pounds of flour a month. We also received peanut butter, butter, dried beans, cornmeal, oatmeal, powdered milk, coconut, sugar, canned pork, and more than I even remember.

I am not sure why the commodity system went away, except maybe abuse, replaced with another system that is also abused. I believe that no matter what you do, there will be someone who will figure out a way to abuse it.

 

[angie_nrs]

I think the determinations on what should be included for basic nutrition should be put together by a group of nutritionists based on specific age ranges. Perhaps give a list of selections within each category. For example: you can get 3 items in the dairy category which might include something like 1 gal milk, or 8 oz or cheese, or 10 oz yogurt, or 1 qt. coconut milk, or 1 pound butter, etc. By giving some choices within each category, the recipient would be better able to plan meals and choose items that work around food allergies and taste preferences of the family.

As far infants and younger children, there is the WIC prgram. Since that program already exists for low income women and children, there is no need for the SNAP program to cover those individuals. That program used to be set up similar to the idea of the program I listed above but I'm not sure if it's still that way.

Just as a side note......last summer I was in line at a gas station waiting to check out with a bag of ice. In front of me was a woman and her toddler. She was buying junk food from her SNAP card. When one card was maxed out, she pulled out another to cover the balance. She had sugary filled drinks for the toddler, which the card purchased. Then I heard her say they were going next door for lunch at KFC.....the sign on the door at KFC boldly states "we accept SNAP"!

 

[Sewingcreations15]

@Sunshine a very valid point you make that your son has particular dietary requirements to meet his needs. I would imagine if a system like this was set up that details of families dietary and allergy information would be made available to those who were doing the baskets to cater for such needs and medical/nutritional advice be given as well. Well to me that would be a sensible approach.

I know when I brought up my children that they all were sensitive to artificial colours and preservatives and 1 child ended up in hospital for days after going to a birthday party after eating something laced with lots of artificial preservatives ( I had no idea he was allergic as they were brought up on a farm eating fresh vegetables). Both children would bounce off walls with hyperactivity after eating lollies or sugar packed foods too so I kept them away from a lot of those foods and made treats at home.

 

[Amish Heart]

In our state, moms with little ones who get WIC need to meet with the WIC advisor to determine their needs...special diet, formula, etc...Also, childrens' iron levels are tested at the WIC office. If the child is under a certain age, the mother receives extra milk, juice, and other products. They also do offer classes on how to stretch your food money. But, I see many buying solid junk food with their SNAP cards. And the children are very overweight just eating junk. In our state, you can receive cashback at the grocery store with your SNAP card, and then go purchase your drugs, cigs, or alcohol with the cash. I would like to see food boxes with cooking ideas. I've helped out plenty with food distribution at a large food pantry. We have people choose from different areas of stocked foods, and the amount they can take from that area depends on their family size. We also pack food for them that is "ready to eat" because some may not have a way to cook it. And also some, don't know how to cook it. Peanut butter is always a big deal.