People living on food stamps are often inadquately nourished. Meals tend to be high on carbs and fat and very lean (no pun intended) on protein, fruits and vegetables, which are not readily available in the bodegas of many neighborhoods were food stamp usage is great. The challenge of food stamps is to make a nutritious and filling meal. It is possible that the stamps become the main focus of meal planning because the cash is spent on items such as soap, toiletries, toilet paper, etc. I'm not interested in posts that I know will state that people eat crappy stuff. I will not sit in judgment of others in this regard. The intent is well grounded, and many, many struggle to provide meals with almost nothing. Food stamps may be found in neighborhoods you'd least expect. Many years ago, one of my sisters was on food stamps...her husband worked minimum wage at the time, they had 2 kids, she worked, also, and lived on Long Island, one of the most expensive places in the country. I helped her, as did my parents. She was so embarassed she shopped in different neighborhoods so no one would know. Things turned around for them, and everything turned out OK in the end, but I determined at that point not to judge. There but for the grace of God...
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