NBC: Gov. Abbott asks USDA to approve waiver banning junk food purchases with SNAP benefits

[Laodicean60]

Define junk food.

Junk food has high amounts of refined and added sugar. Unhealthy fats like trans fats, margarines, and shortenings are used in frying. Some vegetable oils and high saturated fats. There are more.

 

[FireDragon76]

Your experience is limited.

Food Deserts in Houston – Food Deserts

Food deserts are often due, not just to systemic racism, but the built environment. Many Sunbelt cities are not actually real cities designed for human-scale living, but for cars to burn lots of gas.

 

[BCP1928]

It's a grey area.

Also, over-policing of what poor people can buy is not respecting their dignity. Poor people aren't things to be managed, they are human beings whose agency needs to be recognized.

All people need to be disciplined. The most desirable way is for them to be subject to the discipline of a corporate workplace.

 

[durangodawood]

I don’t think willpower is the culprit. I used to talk a lot of middle class women who were the same. They couldn’t cook and served their husband hamburger helper but had all day to learn and did otherwise. Women spend most of their time on the internet talking when they’re home and post throughout the day when they work. That’s why he doesn’t get meals from scratch. Look at Instagram and Tik-Tok and you’ll see the truth.

~bella

Have you tried to escape a tiktok addiction? At some point, yeah, people need to take responsibility for their own attention. But those app devs really know what hooks the human mind.

Basically humans are confronted with this world increasingly built to addict them in ways that most people through history havent. We're not equipped for this, really.

 

[Laodicean60]

Your experience is limited.

Food Deserts in Houston – Food Deserts

I can't open the link, but If you're talking about the third ward, I bet those poor kids at the University of Houston are starving because of the lack of groceries. Don't believe everything you read. Try using Google Maps, pick a ward any ward and you'll find a grocery, and by no means is it Hours away. Now I have to question your experience, or let's talk about where you live, you might be more knowledgeable.

 

[Laodicean60]

Have you tried to escape a tiktok addiction? At some point, yeah, people need to take responsibility for their own attention. But those app devs really know what hooks the human mind.

Basically humans are confronted with this world increasingly built to addict them in way that most people through history havent. We're not equipped for this, really.

I understand addiction, it's hard to get off this forum and do yard work or any type of work.

 

[bèlla]

You didn't start with only "a skillet and a sauce pan". You also started with a reliable heat source, a place to store and refrigerate your ingredients, (as noted) a way to transport them, and at least a knife or two to cut them.

None of which applies to the topic under discussion. SNAP makes allowances for those without housing or similar complications as you’ve described and allow them to obtain food from other sources. The proposal we’re addressing isn’t for people in those circumstances.

That may not be a ton, but it's not nothing. The transportation in particular can be huge. The cheapest cuts of protein where I shop are family packs of chicken breasts, pork loin, and pork shoulder, all of which are around $2.50-3/lb (unfrozen). How are you going to manage a 4 lb pack of raw chicken breasts when you have a 2 hour bus ride home? You have to throw them in the trash as soon as you get home. Depending on how it's packaged, the pork might withstand the trip better, but you'd still better cook it that day.

Food doesn’t spoil in two hours. It would appear you’ve never traveled by bus or at a distance with grocery but I have. I do it every month and buy in bulk in significant quantities. What you consider problematic is a norm for those who value whole foods. Whether they live in the city or outside of it.

The solution to the dilemma you presented is to have a plan beforehand. Know how you’ll use the food before you shop. Which involves meal planning and prepping too. You can speed up the process by preparing things the day before and add the meat the following day. There’s a lot of information online on both with recipes too.

There’s a measure of forethought as well that helps a lot. When someone offers to buy a gift or there’s extra from a tax return put it where it matters most. A slow cooker and instant pot can save a lot of time and lessen the effort. Put on dinner before you retire and when you wake up it’s done. My grandmother cooked for a living and made supper too and everything was from scratch and they had 4 daughters who weren’t required to help.

She had a conviction about her home and that was the difference. It’s not about economy or access in its entirety. It begins with a mindset. That’s what influences the rest irrespective of the resources. You can get a lot on SNAP including seeds and vegetable starts. You could shave a lot off your grocery bill with that alone. You can pay for a CSA with it i at a farmers market and purchase vegetables in bulk and meat as well. When you buy a portion of an animal you don’t pay upfront. You put a down payment and the balance is due at delivery. They can split the payments up if you ask to accommodate the benefits.

There’s a lot of ways to use resources to your advantage if you’re committed. The how will find its way to you. Every service the government provides for the poor have opportunities built within them to improve your circumstances if you’re smart. You have to think outside the box.

And before you say most poor people don’t have a garden. I worked with someone on the farm who offered his services to the elderly in exchange for produce. He planted the garden and managed it and split the harvest with his clients. ;-)

~bella

 

[BCP1928]

I can't open the link, but If you're talking about the third ward, I bet those poor kids at the University of Houston are starving because of the lack of groceries. Don't believe everything you read. Try using Google Maps, pick a ward any ward and you'll find a grocery, and by no means is it Hours away. Now I have to question your experience, or let's talk about where you live, you might be more knowledgeable.

A supermarket with a fresh vegetable section, a real meat counter, etc? You know, the kind of supermarket the upper classes demand who claim that cooking from raw materials is sooo easy, poor people must just be lazy.

 

[Laodicean60]

You know, the kind of supermarket the upper classes demand who claim that cooking from raw materials is sooo easy, poor people must just be lazy.

Nope, American youth are lazy, at least mine are to some extent, not just poor people, so stop it. When I learned about our food during COVID and tried to tell my kids about processed foods, they were resistant to change until they educated themselves.

Supermarket? Who says you need a Kroger or a Super Walmart on every corner? When it comes to making money, people start businesses that they don't have in the area to capitalize like in El Paso, numerous food markets sell vegetables and meats, and necessities, with limits on boxed foods.

 

[RDKirk]

Have you tried to escape a tiktok addiction? At some point, yeah, people need to take responsibility for their own attention. But those app devs really know what hooks the human mind.

Basically humans are confronted with this world increasingly built to addict them in ways that most people through history havent. We're not equipped for this, really.

It's a matter of science these days. The social media developers actually studied data collected by gambling casinos. The food industry has decades of actual experimental data to draw upon. I have a friend who wrote the programs for the computer-controlled machines that mix Shake and Stake hamburgers to precisely the right amount of fat and lean meat in their patties.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

It's a grey area.

Also, over-policing of what poor people can buy is not respecting their dignity. Poor people aren't things to be managed, they are human beings whose agency needs to be recognized.

...but clearly there are limits to that.

Hence the reason we already restrict those types of benefits from being used for things like alcohol and tobacco.

100% absolute agency is the privilege that's granted when people spend their own money. When spending the government's money (other peoples' money), there's certainly room for restrictions and accountability.

 

[RDKirk]

None of which applies to the topic under discussion. SNAP makes allowances for those without housing or similar complications as you’ve described and allow them to obtain food from other sources. The proposal we’re addressing isn’t for people in those circumstances.



Food doesn’t spoil in two hours. It would appear you’ve never traveled by bus or at a distance with grocery but I have. I do it every month and buy in bulk in significant quantities. What you consider problematic is a norm for those who value whole foods. Whether they live in the city or outside of it.

The solution to the dilemma you presented is to have a plan beforehand. Know how you’ll use the food before you shop. Which involves meal planning and prepping too. You can speed up the process by preparing things the day before and add the meat the following day. There’s a lot of information online on both with recipes too.

There’s a measure of forethought as well that helps a lot. When someone offers to buy a gift or there’s extra from a tax return put it where it matters most. A slow cooker and instant pot can save a lot of time and lessen the effort. Put on dinner before you retire and when you wake up it’s done. My grandmother cooked for a living and made supper too and everything was from scratch and they had 4 daughters who weren’t required to help.

She had a conviction about her home and that was the difference. It’s not about economy or access in its entirety. It begins with a mindset. That’s what influences the rest irrespective of the resources. You can get a lot on SNAP including seeds and vegetable starts. You could shave a lot off your grocery bill with that alone. You can pay for a CSA with it i at a farmers market and purchase vegetables in bulk and meat as well. When you buy a portion of an animal you don’t pay upfront. You put a down payment and the balance is due at delivery. They can split the payments up if you ask to accommodate the benefits.

There’s a lot of ways to use resources to your advantage if you’re committed. The how will find its way to you. Every service the government provides for the poor have opportunities built within them to improve your circumstances if you’re smart. You have to think outside the box.

And before you say most poor people don’t have a garden. I worked with someone on the farm who offered his services to the elderly in exchange for produce. He planted the garden and managed it and split the harvest with his clients. ;-)

~bella

How committed a person is to that effort is going to he highly related to the other issues in their lives.

We can all find anecdotal examples of people who have it easy and people who have it hard, but what does life look like in the peak of the food-insecure bell curve?

 

[bèlla]

Have you tried to escape a tiktok addiction? At some point, yeah, people need to take responsibility for their own attention. But those app devs really know what hooks the human mind.

Basically humans are confronted with this world increasingly built to addict them in ways that most people through history havent. We're not equipped for this, really.

I’ve never been attached to social media. I suspect it’s because I came online when chat was popular and got it out of my system. By the time social media arrived my desire to communicate was gone. I was all talked out. I use it professionally but outside of that I stick to educational content. I’m very intentional about my feed. If it isn’t adding to my knowledge or helping me develop a skill or improving my work or resources I don’t follow them because it’s built to distract and I know it. Why would I go along?

When I saw the promos on the metaverse I prioritized life outside of this realm and chose to live counterculturally. The more technology invades our lives the more I do otherwise. I used to play a bingo game and saw how much money was being spent on the platform and quit. I chided myself for being there and reminded myself I invest in the technology but don’t partake.

I view them all as tools and they have their place but it doesn’t supersede daily living or human relationships. It’s important to be able to cut things off and that’s a quality I require in myself. When you see it for what it is you’ll avoid the snare or become a slave if you don’t. You have to bring yourself under subjection to survive this age. That’s easiest when self-preservation is a natural instinct. You have less difficulty saying no and denying yourself. The christian correlation is self-control.

~bella

 

[iluvatar5150]

You must be in a rural setting because I grew up in Houston, and there was never a 2-hour anything except going to work and coming home from work. Grocery is everywhere.

Public transit can easily take that long if buses are infrequent and you have to transfer a couple times.

It's not really woke, it's just being intelligent. I'm pretty much done with arguing politics. If people don't like what I have to say... remember that Gen X thing? "Whatever". Sometimes that intuition is the best advice. As Jesus said, you shake the dust off your feet and move on. Stupidity and foolishness are their own punishment.

I was being facetious. I agree with you.

None of which applies to the topic under discussion.

Right. Most of my comments have been directed at the notion that SNAP should be restricted to "whole foods." That's the idea of another poster, not something proposed by Abbott.

Food doesn’t spoil in two hours.

Raw chicken will. It'll go faster, if it's hot out.

 

[BCP1928]

...but clearly there are limits to that.

Hence the reason we already restrict those types of benefits from being used for things like alcohol and tobacco.

100% absolute agency is the privilege that's granted when people spend their own money. When spending the government's money (other peoples' money), there's certainly room for restrictions and accountability.

That's right. That should force them into line, especially in a system that's rigged against small business and self-employment. MAGA!

 

[Laodicean60]

I imagine doing away with the junk food is not doing away with funding. More on Texas:

In contrast to federal proposals, Texas has implemented some positive changes to SNAP:

• As of April 2025, Texas has implemented several enhancements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to better support residents facing food insecurity. Here are the key updates:
  
  
  
  ### 1. Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025
  
  Effective October 1, 2024, the Texas SNAP program underwent a COLA to help recipients keep pace with rising food costs. Notable adjustments include[NCQLTC][1])
  
  * **Maximum Monthly Allotments**:
  
  * 1 person: \$292
  * 2 people: \$536
  * 3 people: \$768
  * 4 people: \$975
  * 5 people: \$1,158
  * 6 people: \$1,390
  * 7 people: \$1,536
  * Each additional person: +\$220([Pence Report][2], [keralacobank][3], [NCQLTC][1])
  
  These increases are designed to help households manage higher grocery expenses. ([NCQLTC][1])
  
  ---
  
  ### 2. Enhanced Minimum Benefit for Elderly and Disabled Recipients
  
  Starting March 2025, Texas raised the minimum monthly SNAP benefit for elderly (65+) and disabled recipients from \$23 to \$45. This change aims to provide more substantial support to these vulnerable populations. 
  
  ---
  
  ### 3. Increased Asset Limits
  
  The asset limits for SNAP eligibility have been adjusted to account for inflation[CitizenPortal][4])
  
  * **Most households**: Increased from \$2,750 to \$3,000
  * **Households with elderly or disabled members**: Increased from \$4,250 to \$4,500([PMS News][5])
  
  These adjustments allow more households to qualify for assistance by considering their savings and assets. ([PMS News][5])
  
  ---
  
  ### 4. Expanded Work Requirement Age Range
  
  Texas has extended the work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) to include individuals aged 18 to 54. Previously, this requirement applied to those aged 18 to 49. Affected individuals must work or participate in a qualifying program for at least 80 hours per month to maintain eligibility beyond three months. ([Missouri Chapter][6])
  
  ---
  
  ### 5. Adjustments to Resource Exclusions
  
  House Bill 5160, introduced in March 2025, mandates annual inflation adjustments to the maximum amount of resources excluded from SNAP eligibility calculations. This ensures that thresholds keep pace with rising living costs, particularly benefiting households where all members are seniors, disabled, or lack earned income. ([CitizenPortal][4])
  
  ---
  
  
  
  

 

[ThatRobGuy]

That's right. That should force them into line, especially in a system that's rigged against small business and self-employment. MAGA!

Out of curiosity, are there any limitations or accountability measures at all that you'd be willing to accept that you wouldn't immediately portray as
"Everyone else just thinks poor people are lazy and stupid"?

...I ask because that seems to be a reoccurring theme here. Anything short of "just give everyone money - no strings attached" seems to get that kind of rebuttal from you.

 

[BCP1928]

Out of curiosity, are there any limitations or accountability measures at all that you'd be willing to accept that you wouldn't immediately portray as
"Everyone else just thinks poor people are lazy and stupid"?

How do you know I won't accept any limitations or accountability measures at all? I don't see any problem with taking some of that crap food off the SNAP list. It would be a good idea if some of the other food security related items we have been discussing were addressed as well. Then I could believe it was all about nutrition.

 

[bèlla]

How committed a person is to that effort is going to he highly related to the other issues in their lives.

We can all find anecdotal examples of people who have it easy and people who have it hard, but what does life look like in the peak of the food-insecure bell curve?

I worked in a food desert on an organic farm designed to combat the issue and the only people who brought their lunch were me and the staff. The rest went to the local grease spot while spending their day picking vegetables and learning about nutrition and we didn’t pay for our produce. I did the tours for groups and donors and know the problem well.

There’s a lot of poor people planting gardens. Whether it’s their own or another they’re working with and sharing resources. There’s a lot of poor people making bread and simple meals from scratch and most of their households are larger than the majority. It’s a question of mindset and priorities.

I live that life and I know who I see at those places, on the screen and in the comments. There’s Walmart and Aldi hauls all over YouTube. They show you what they bought and how to use it. There’s videos on frugal cooking and depression era recipes. We’ve never had more information than we do today to accommodate all income levels.

People always traveled for food in the city. Less expensive options or the ones who sold to consumers (at a discount) weren’t in their area. We bought in bulk long before Costco and Sam’s Club. There was a place for meat, fish, vegetables and so on. The only ones who didn’t shop like that were those in affluent areas. They valued convenience over savings.

We sold at the farmers market I frequent to this day. We weren’t allowed to say the prices were cheaper elsewhere. We pay a premium to accomodate those with less. Same items, growing conditions and volume. The only difference in price is the zip code.

~bella

 

[bèlla]

Raw chicken will. It'll go faster, if it's hot out.

All foods have a season when prices are lower and it follows the calendar. That’s why I recommended a home economics class. Chicken is cheaper in the winter after the holidays. I bought a 40 pound box of wings during that period and spoilage was moot. There are things you buy at certain points of the year for better prices, weather conditions or to get ahead of increase like tariffs or expected shortages.

~bella