I don’t want this to get too political or anything, but have you heard of food stamp restaurants? I didn’t even know this existed until I came across this article today.
- “Between 2005 and 2010, the number of businesses certified in the SNAP program went from about 156,000 to nearly 209,000, according to USDA data.”
- “There is big money at stake. USDA records show food stamp benefits swelled from $28.5 billion to $64.7 billion in that period.”
Restaurants such as Taco Bell and KFC are trying to get a piece of the food stamp pie. But many are debating mainly that it’s not healthy, waste of federal spending and so on. What do you think?
Mommy Saves ALOT!!! says
They'll consume too much unhealthy food which will lead to health problems; which in turn will have to be paid for by the government.
Jane says
I think that's stupid! Food stampers should only be able to spend the $$ at a grocery store and if I had my way they couldn't spend it on crap food either…But then we don't have food stamps in Canada so perhaps I shouldn't voice an opinion!
Live Simply- Live We says
ok–i so wish i would not have read this. wow. that got my blood boiling. those "federal" dollars–yea thats our money. thats crap. my husband and i both have jobs, and we coupon and do without. its not right.
Red says
The only thing people on food stamps should be worried about is becoming financially secure enough so that they don't need them anymore. I feel for them, but going to KFC and Taco Bell and using my tax dollars? No way! Of course, food stamps are already accepted at restaurants like Papa Murphy's (which is a take and bake pizza chain). It really pisses me off.
Michelle P says
I agree with everyone on here! When I first read that article, I didn't believe it. I searched more articles on the subject and it's all over the internet all of a sudden. I had no idea!
Anna says
I'm going to be the voice of dissent here. As it is,our laws regarding food stamps are pretty f*cked. Commenters have said that people on food stamps should only be allowed to shop at grocery stores but in my opinion, there's a reason that many people on food stamps choose unhealthily in the store. The problem isn't that they don't want vegetables, it's that a bag of chips feeds more and is less expensive. That goes back to farming subsidies and blablabla, not the poor people on food stamps trying to feed their families. I think it's easier to get a healthy option that will feed your family at certain restaurants than it is to do so in a grocery store. Perhaps KFC isn't the best way to go about this but there are ways to choose healthily at any restaurant, just like at a grocery store. The problems we're talking about here are more systemic and complicated than foodstamps and food choices. It's about what food is actually made affordable in our country.
BTHappyHomeowner says
I agree with everything that's already been said here. Food needs to be more affordable, government assistance programs need to be more accountable, and people (as a whole because I know there is a small percentage of people who are genuinely trying to make do with little means) need to make more of an effort to better their situation, no matter what it takes. As a taxpayer, I'm frustrated by the abuse of programs that were designed to help the less fortunate. These programs aren't meant to buoy laziness, fraud and deceit, but they often are a shining beacon of those very things. On the flip-side, I've spent a great deal of time working and volunteering with the financially less fortunate in the past, and I know for a fact that some people simply cannot survive (or ensure their children's safety/proper development) without these programs. Anyway you look at it, it boils down to our government needing to do a serious overhaul of our social programs. If only that were the case…
Stephanie says
@Anna – I'd actually beg to differ on your point that it's more expensive to buy fresh, healthy food. My husband and I spend no more than $300/month on groceries. This includes non-food items and weekly trips to the farmers' market (which actually does accept food stamp benefits, which is pretty cool). We eat very little processed food. We've even stopped buying meat at the grocery store and now only buy it from local farms, for both health and ethical reasons: no artificial hormones, no need for antibiotics as a preventative measure, the animals are primarily grass-fed, and they're treated well. (You know your chicken is truly free-range when you're forced to play chicken with an actual, live rooster on your way out of the farm!) We still typically spend $75 or less each week.Guess what the maximum SNAP benefit for a two-person household in NJ (where I live) is? $367 per month. I don't think I'd go so far as to say that people on food stamps don't *want* vegetables either, but I don't think it's impossible for someone on food stamps to eat a healthy diet either. Odds are it's a combination of a few things: a lack of education regarding nutrition, a lack of time (in the case of the "working poor" who hold down two minimum wage jobs just to make ends meet and who simply don't have time to prepare a healthy meal from scratch), and the whole "food desert" concept – in a lot of poor neighborhoods there is simply a lack of access to grocery stores with lots of fresh food.P.S. Sorry for the insanely long comment!!
Serendipity says
I don't think food stamps should be used anywhere outside of a grocery store but I'm not the federal governement so, even though some of my money goes to fund this, I don't necessarily have a say. I also have to stop and think about some of the things mentioned up above, but in the end, their going to do what they want with those food stamps. I do think the government should do something similar like WIC and have more of a say about the items that can be purchased. When I'm pinching pennies I can't buy chips and you can't either. Chips are not cheaper then a bag of potatoes.