Blue Apron for food stamps already exists. And some recipients hate the powdered milk.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

On a recent Friday afternoon, under the watchful gaze of local food bank staff, 68-year-old John Samuel pawed through a box of government-sourced canned goods and found little inside that he wanted.

Canned carrots? “I wish we had peas,” he said.

Grape juice? “Well — it’s okay.”

Powdered milk? “Horrible.” He tossed the bag on a growing pile of identical bags, each abandoned by a food-box recipient earlier that day.

Such are the trade-offs of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, a limited federal initiative for low-income seniors — and the model for the Trump administration's controversial pitch to radically transform the food stamp program.

The administration last week proposed halving the monthly benefit of most participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, and replacing it with a “Harvest Box” of shelf-stable government-sourced foods, a system that White House budget director Mick Mulvaney compared to Blue Apron.

The proposal was directly modeled after the existing senior food-box program, a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesman said, and will include similar features. States will order boxed foods from a preset list and develop their own delivery and distribution networks, including through partnerships with nonprofit groups.

The administration argues its plan would cut costs while improving the diets of the estimated 43.6 million low-income Americans who use SNAP.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/02/21/blue-apron-for-food-stamps-already-exists-and-some-recipients-hate-the-powdered-milk/?utm_term=.27122b71286d&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1

[pandr32]

1. Seniors and all people need real food

Processed food will not "improve the diets of the estimated 43.6 million low-income Americans."
Our country destroys wholesome real food in mass quantities.

[procon]

5. You can't feed people like they are cattle.

Does this look like a balanced diet? What recipes could people come up with that would use those ingredients, and even if they were creative cooks, would anyone eat the 'Salmon Surprize"?

This month's box contained two cans or boxes each of green beans, carrots, applesauce, salmon, spaghetti, hot cereal and shelf-stable milk, plus two bottles of grape juice, a jar of peanut butter, a block of processed American cheese and a bag of nonfat milk powder.

[crazycatlady]

6. Salmon surprize sounds like cat food

[Ms. Toad]

7. Out of that package, I could eat

Salmon, peanut butter, and green beans. Every thing else has too many carbs per serving to be compatible with my diabetes - a condition I share with many on food stamps.

It's not just a matter of treating people like responsible adults, that package is also hazardous to the health of many.

[pandr32]

13. If the green beans are canned there is too much sodium

The peanut butter and salmon at least have protein.

[Ms. Toad]

23. Sodium is not an issue for me -

just more than 20 carbs/meal.

[pandr32]

35. Many people in this country have HBP

Too much sodium is a problem.

[Ms. Toad]

36. I know, but I was not providing a general critique of the contents

only the contents I would need to toss in the trash can based on having diabetes.

There are a lot of other critiques I could offer about the contents, as well.

[pandr32]

37. Lots of people with diabetes, too

I'm married to one and know many.

[Ms. Toad]

38. And it is proportionately higher in the population receiving food stamps

which is why I thought my comment about diabetes and the content of the package was relevant.

[pandr32]

39. And you would be right

We need to take control of Congress and stop this assault on our citizens' health and well being.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. a block of processed American cheese

aka Velveeta, which used to be made from real cheese, but now is not real cheese—
which is why the FDA forced Kraft to change its label from "cheese spread" to "cheese product."

ingredients:

Milk, Water, Whey, Milk Protein Concentrate, Milkfat, Whey Protein Concentrate, Sodium Phosphate, Contains 2% or less of: Salt, Calcium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Alginate, Enzymes, Apocarotenal, Annatto, Cheese Culture.

[procon]

10. No one in my family could be forced to eat Velveeta, so it would go to waste.

The 1% milk powdered milk is visually suspicious and unappetizing to drink, but it's OK to cook with if that's all you have. I keep some in the pantry to use in a pinch when I'm out of real milk.

[d_r]

12. did they change the cheese?

I loved it when I was a kid

[dixiegrrrrl]

17. They did indeed change it.

and yet charge a high price for it.
same for Kraft singles.

[d_r]

24. aww, man. nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

25. I KNOW, right?

Back in the day, I used to love toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup combo, and the cheese would melt in the perfect way.

they've destroyed my childhood......

[pandr32]

14. Sodium phosphate raises cardiovascular risk and kidney disease

It is also a non-specific generic term and may contain aluminum.

[smirkymonkey]

11. There is very little of that I could eat. Maybe the beans, applesauce, spaghetti and

grape juice. I would rather take the money and get some dried lentils, beans, rice, onions, celery, chicken bouillon and a few other staples and make a nice hearty soup that would last me a week. I could spend very little and feed my self better than they could with that slop. How insulting this is to the people's dignity.

[pandr32]

15. I doubt the "grape juice" is 100% fruit juice

It is likely a product that contains high fructose corn syrup.

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. Google tells us it is 100% juice.

Grape Juice from Concentrate (Filtered Water, Grape Juice Concentrate), Grape Juice, Citric Acid (for Tartness), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

Problem is, one glass of fruit juice takes about 10 times more fruit than you would normally eat in a week.

[pandr32]

34. Thank you for this

[Ohiogal]

26. Insulting is the word!

But, they're needy. Conservatives have to make a point.

[smirkymonkey]

29. Yes! Poor people should take what they get and LIKE it!

Disgusting!

[dlk]

2. Republicans Win the Prize for Creating New Ways to Degrade Poor People

While raking in a profit in the process. Just when you think they can't sink any lower...

[tblue37]

4. Remember the ketchup is a vegetable for school lunches BS during the Reagan years? nt

[moriah]

3. We also have WIC. It's a better model IMHO.

First, it's FRESH milk, and requires dairies to compete for the lowest priced gallons to be the WIC-qualified ones. That benefits all low-income people by driving down the profit margin of WIC-covered staples.

And FRESH fruit and vegetables. Far better for people.

It has implementation issues, and computers could perhaps streamline the process to make retailers like it better. But it already factors in the cost of transportation for the foods to local grocery stores -- and transportation cost is a major factor in the cost of groceries at the store. This is saying it'd be on the states to account for distribution.

[Ohiogal]

27. WIC was a lifesaver

when I had 3 little kids at home under 6. We got baby formula, peanut butter, cereal, milk, orange juice, I forget what else. A local dairy brought the food right to your front door. You had to sign for it once a month. They were very reliable. I remember we got our food box every Monday. One winter it was 14 below that morning and the truck came right on time, the delivery guy as pleasant as always. I guess they don't do it that way any more.

[moriah]

33. Here they issue vouchers.

It can be a pain to use at the register sometimes but it IS a lifesaver.

[FarCenter]

8. Looks like pretty standard stuff -- I'd cook with the powdered milk, not drink it

https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=

[RobinA]

16. I Don't Think

it's horrible. It certainly isn't everything you'd need to cook anything. You would still need stamps to buy the rest of your food. I also think that two big cans of salmon is a waste. Who in this country eats salmon like that?

[Lee-Lee]

19. Salmon patties

That was a staple in my house growing up, we had them at least once a week because it was a cheap and easy protein source.

[FarCenter]

22. Someone must - checked the local supermarket & have Bumble Bee, Starkist, and Chicken of the Sea

$3.49 to $3.69 / can.

With the salmon, spaghetti, cheese and powdered milk, you are well on your way to a salmon pasta casserole. You need some butter, onions, flour, and spices.

[trixie2]

32. I would not eat anything from this bag

The juice has 40g of sugar per 8 oz glass. Pop has less sugar than this. There is no nutritional value at all. Never eat canned food - gross. Canned fish? Again gross. Even the pasta is not good. We have moved from regular pasta to sliced up zucchini.

You can buy fresh food for a fraction of the cost. I just bought asparagus for 88cents a pound. Green beans for 59 cents a pound. We have been eating in season and found we eat much better at a fraction of the cost. Every major city has a fresh market. I see that in the Detroit area most fresh markets accept the bridge card - food stamps.

They really are trying to kill us.

[brooklynite]

20. To be clear, the proposal did not say "powdered milk"...

...it said "shelf-stable". This can mean liquid that doesn't require refrigeration before opening (Parmalat is a popular brand).

[SoCalNative]

28. Read the last line

"This month's box contained two cans or boxes each of green beans, carrots, applesauce, salmon, spaghetti, hot cereal and shelf-stable milk, plus two bottles of grape juice, a jar of peanut butter, a block of processed American cheese and a bag of nonfat milk powder."

[smirkymonkey]

30. What is with the milk thing anyway?

Do they realize that a lot of people just hate milk?

[hunter]

21. Is it possible to make wine out of the grape juice?

Or does it have too many preservatives?

I used to make buttermilk from government powdered milk, fermenting it on top of the water heater in our apartment. As liquid milk it was too horrible to drink because the tap water in our town was so bad. My roommates thought I was weird. They had a bigger food budget than I had.

This milk was cheap, just like government cheese, because many of the people getting it weren't eating it. Many recipients in our town were refugees of the Vietnam war who weren't keen on dairy products but they knew how to trade them for familiar foods.

Taking people's food choices away is just wrong. All this plan does is create new opportunities for corruption with contractors who skimp on quality and nutrition, make shady deals with delivery companies, and redirect some of their profits back to rotten politicians.

[The empressof all]

31. Anything is possible with an Instant Pot....Here's the recipe

I probably won't be trying this myself...I'm good with my cheap Tavernelo from World Market...


http://www.grazeme.com/make-red-wine-in-an-instant-pot-recipe/