Should Food Stamps be allowed to be used at Restaurants?

[Gravekeeper]

I'm all for, because that is teaching them how to get it themselves, not just blindly giving it away.

Teach a man to fish.... -.-

[Lace Neil Singer]

Rather than giving them prime salmon when the rest of us can only afford cod?

[Rapscallion]

Well, I'd hardly compare the offerings at most fast food outlets to prime salmon, but your point is well made.

I could sort of see it for some items. About three weeks back I needed some work done on my car and didn't have enough time for breakfast. There was a Mickey D's down the road. Bottle of orange and a bowl of porridge later and I was set up for a few hours. That's healthy and relatively cheap. However, it's far cheaper to get a packet of porridge and cook the bugger yourself.

Rapscallion

[Peppergirl]

Rather than giving them prime salmon when the rest of us can only afford cod?

I had to bite my tongue on this same situation with my neighbor. She and I were at the store together, and was buying all these great cuts of meat and fish (that I can't afford), using her EBT card. I wasn't really upset about it until she commented that she's stoked about being able to buy premium meats that she couldn't afford when she was working. (she's on unemployment).

I was thinking...yeah. Thanks. I work 50+ hours a week almost every week and I'm lucky I can afford plain ol' ground beef and she's able to buy porterhouse steak.

I know it sounds bitchy, but it really rubbed me the wrong way.

[Andara Bledin]

However, it's far cheaper to get a packet week's worth of porridge and cook the bugger yourself.

Sorry, you seemed to have a typo, there.

^-.-^

[HYHYBT]

Teach a man to fish.... -.-

...and he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

[lordlundar]

...and he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

So thankful I wasn't eating or drinking anything then.

[Sleepwalker]

In other articles, I have read that food stamps in restaurants are to be used by disabled and other special circumstance recipients(homeless) who have difficulty preparing food for themselves. Hmm.

[kansasgal]

I would say no as well, Food Stamps are for food to cook at home. I've been on them in the past, and you can buy an awful lot of hamburger, hamburger helper, veggies, etc when using food stamps. I didn't buy steak, roasts or anything else, I tried to stretch it with coupons and buy as much food as possible for my money.

I never see people using coupons with their EBT cards now, although I am sure some do. It's a great way to stretch food money when needed.

[Rapscallion]

In other articles, I have read that food stamps in restaurants are to be used by disabled and other special circumstance recipients(homeless) who have difficulty preparing food for themselves. Hmm.

That does make far more sense under those circumstances.

Rapscallion

[bainsidhe]

I never see people using coupons with their EBT cards now, although I am sure some do. It's a great way to stretch food money when needed.

You raise an interesting point. Although I've noticed that coupons lately are for higher-priced brand-name goods that I normally wouldn't buy unless I had a coupon. I can still get my tasty generic mustard for less than brand name product after coupon. So maybe that's why? Though I'd expect to at least see coupons used towards brand name cereal, since those coupons are pretty common and not everyone buys malt-o-meal brand. *shrugs*

[Akasa]

In other articles, I have read that food stamps in restaurants are to be used by disabled and other special circumstance recipients(homeless) who have difficulty preparing food for themselves. Hmm.

This is why they allow it to be used at 7-11 in the cold food like sandwiches, fruit, sushi, the burritos you heat up in the microwave, hot pockets, etc.

[BrenDAnn]

Short answer: No. Long answer: People will take advantage of it. I've seen it happen. When it flooded around here a few years back, the Iowa EBT program decided to let people use their foodstamps for hot food. Guess what? I saw a woman who had NOT been affected by the floods buying larges pizzas, etc on her EBT card several times a week during the time this was in place. I'm not saying everyone on food stamps would do this, but I'd be willing to wager that a great majority would.

[mooncat]

I'd have to say no except for special circumstances. I buy my groceries mostly at low-prices-no-frills grocery stores. I still pay more than I like. I do get to eat out now & then, but not at the expensive places.

As far as people spending EBT money on martinis, though--isn't alcohol one of the things you can't buy on EBT? That would be a pain for the restaurant, the servers would have to argue with assholes insisting that they should be alowed to order whatever they want, but I'm pretty sure booze is not allowed.

Oh, one other point; I totally agree with teaching people who receive such assistance how to eat healthy and how to cook, but part of the problem (at least where I live) is that there is little to no fresh stuff or even particularly healthy stuff in the lowest-income neighborhoods. The stores tend to be little mom & pop delis that stock cold cuts, hot dogs, overly-processed stuff like boxed mac & cheese, and so on. Very little fresh produce. One of the schools had a program going that involved a farm truck bringing fresh stuff to poor areas so people could buy veggies & fruits.

If you're on public assistance & don't have a car, it can be hard to get to the bigger supermarkets that sell lean meats, fresh produce & similar things, and hard to bring home enough to feed your family for the month, unless you can afford a taxi, which is doubtful if you're that poor. So I think we need more programs that bring poor people and farmers together, or ways for them to get to the larger stores.

[Seshat]

One idea I have is a kind of special 'restaurant' that food stamps/ebt/whatever is allowed to be used at.

The catch is that the restaurant serves healthy meals. Variations include vegetarian/vegan, diabetic-friendly, GERD-friendly, FODMAP-friendly, allergen-friendly and so forth.

Vegetables served are whatever's in season. People are free to grab a couple of pieces of in-season fruit to eat later (or with their meal). Drinks are tea, coffee, water, in-season juices, up to two glasses of milk.

Grain products served are whole grain or wholemeal, not over-refined.

The price on an EBT card would be a reasonable cost for one meal per person.


The reason for this is that bulk processing (in this case, bulk cooking) can be much more efficient socially than individual processing. You could even partner working in this place with hospitality courses at local community colleges.

It would also potentially reduce deficiency and nutrition diseases among the poor.