Poverty and Poor Eating: Stop Telling Poor People How to Eat

Krystal A. Spencer
Jul 25, 2017 · 3 min read

Senator Chris McDaniel tweeted on February 20th, 2017, “Welfare (EBT) should be for basic needs, not steaks and escargot. Time for reform.”

Politicians telling poor people how to eat is nothing new, in fact it is an issue on both sides of the mainstream political spectrum. Privileged, older, elite whites who have little to no idea of what it’s like to live below the poverty level (or forgotten what it’s like) and provide for themselves or even a family. Going to your local Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s isn’t a luxury your average poor person can do on a weekly basis. Cooking low calorie but filling meals isn’t a luxury many can afford. Meats can cost upwards a few dollars and may not be enough to feed a family of four. Often times, fresh foods aren’t accessible as food deserts or food swamps are common in concentrated impoverished communities. Hunger isn’t just an issue outside the United States in countries like Ethiopia like white media portrays it, but it’s a national crisis that could be just next door to you.

So why is it that we continue to restrict what poor people eat and tell them how they should eat?

Food deserts are a major issue in poor communities, often due to gentrification. According to the American Nutrition Association (americannutritionsassociation.org), “food deserts are defined as parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas.” Often times, grocery stores tend to be in suburban communities where due to white flight, tend to not only be segregated, but with wealth. In inner cities and even rural areas, there tends to be a lack of grocery stores, farmers markets or places where people can get fresh foods or anything substantial. What foods are located in food deserts? Fast food.

When you have to choose between rent and healthy eating, which would you pick? To eat healthy in a food desert, you have to spend money going to another neighborhood that has grocery stores and/or marketplaces which costs not only the hike in some healthy food items, but the cost of transportation. Public transportation in some neighborhoods may be scarce or costly (even a dollar is costly when you’re trying to survive at minimum wage with a hefty rent) and you may or may not have access to a car. Even with a car, there’s gas to consider. Then, some of the healthy foods may be more expensive than fast food depending on the area.

Then, there’s time to consider. The average person below the poverty line makes minimum wage and may have to work two and three jobs in order to support themselves and their family, which means that it is extremely time consuming to cook a fifteen to thirty minute meal. Picking up fast food is not only a lot better on the budget, but it saves precious time that you may not have.

We continue to conduct study after study about why poor people eat healthy and scholars continue to blame it solely on food access. While that assumption is partially true, it excludes populations of people who may live in more middle class or affluent areas. Rural areas may have a grocery store within the radius that the USDA considers accessible to food, but someone living in an rural area may not have access due to limited access to transportation or money. Therefore, food access isn’t just as simple as putting in a grocery store, although it would help.

In order to understand exactly why poor people may eat unhealthy, you have to understand poverty. Poverty is more complex than a bunch of scholarly thesis’ and articles can tell you. Poverty affects everything you do in every moment of your life.

Krystal A. Spencer

Written by

Words are powerful. Use them wisely.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade