Thread: Why should the government tell you what you can eat ?

We actually have just a regular school, Nothing fancy for your local Public school and the food here is actually VERY GOOD. Baked chicken nuggets, salad bars, beef stew, spagetti with garlic bread. just a few examples but every lunch comes with a choice of Fruit and Veggie (Hot or canned, fresh) and a choice of lowfat chocolate, white or skim milk. I'd say thats a pretty good lunch!
Anyways, back to the subject....Most poor people are kind of "stuck" eating the more unhealthy food because you get bigger quantities for less money. Dont get me wrong, I'd love to eat more fruit but around here any grocery store a bag of apples are like literally $5.00 now for that 5.00 I can get alot of other food (not gonna start listing stuff, not enuff time LOL) but you start talking about the cost of the "good for you food" and you've left me in the dust.

Originally Posted by dv8grl

I don't believe the government should step in and tell people what they can & cannot eat.... Then again, i certainly don't want to help pay for the healthcare of someone who WILLINGLY KNOWS that eating fast food everyday and not exercising will put them in very poor health. I shouldn't have to pay for the ignorant!, no one should! , but we do and we will continue to do so.

I understand that a big mac may only cost a buck, but ya know what also does a salad, so don't give me that poor people only eat poorly because thats the only thing available to them!

by providind nutritional information at the register [for fast food that is where you order AND pay] The consumer can maked the "informed" choice.
The problem with the "salad to burger choice" is about "bulk vs veggies" what is most filling to ward off hunger for the longest period of time. [proteins]
Also the salad contains high levels of trans fat via the dressing.

Originally Posted by MIKAER

Also the salad contains high levels of trans fat via the dressing.

My god, you have an excuse for everything!

LMAO! You'd be a great lawyer!


My point being, people choose to make unhealthy choces, if it be smoking, over-eating, drinking, sex, you name it.. Is the government going to have to monitor everything, just to protect ourselves!


PS - cookies may cost $.75 , but carrots only cost a bit more

Originally Posted by dv8grl

My god, you have an excuse for everything!

LMAO! You'd be a great lawyer!


My point being, people choose to make unhealthy choces, if it be smoking, over-eating, drinking, sex, you name it.. Is the government going to have to monitor everything, just to protect ourselves!


[...]

Just inform and protect the consumer... I personally would like to have the choice of hearing " Would you like trans fat with your order or cholesterol free to go"

Originally Posted by Mystica131

[...]but you can still buy cigarettes?????????

yes but they have to have warning labels.

The ban isn't going to bother people like some of the posters above, because the ban isn't on something they eat all the time. As soon as they try and ban say...carrots, those same people would be up in arms over it.

Yes a salad and Big Mac might both cost a $, but a salad isn't as filling as a Big Mac. I wouldn't want to spend my last $ on a salad and then still be hungry.

Originally Posted by buttrfli

True! But I am talking about quantity. I have a bag of carrots in my fridge right now. There are 9 carrots in the bag (there were 10 but I ate one lol) as opposed to 30 or 40 cookies in a box.

In my case, when I am feeding a family of 5 on a limited budget, its how much I can get for $1, not always whats the best for my health.

I hear you. Kevin and I were discussing this last night. There was some holier than thou lady on tv talking about how bad parents are that give their kids koolaid instead of milk. Milk here is $4 gallon. I have to reserve it for cereal, cooking, and they get one 8oz glass of chocolate milk a day. As opposed to: 10 packs of koolaid for a buck, and $1.50 for 5lbs of sugar. We live off a firefighters salery supporting 5 people. riiiiiiiight.

I'm all for eating healthy and I would LOVE it if I could afford fresh fruits and veggies in my house all the time. As it is, fruit is considered a special occasion, especially since I priced a bag of oranges at our walmart last week and it was $6.96.

I wouldn't care of unhealthy crap was banned, as long as they made the alternative reasonably accessable for poor people (or anyone for that matter). I don't cook with oil or butter, I use sprays etc, to cut out the trans fats, but sometimes you gotta do what you can do and the pity for some of us who are living off of $24,000 a year is we have to make choices that will keep our kids full as opposed to going hungry till the next payday, just so they can have an apple here and there. Ohh and we are one of those that fall just over the foodstamp level. Believe me, when we qualified, we had nothing BUT healthy food in this house because I could use that to help supplement the cost of groceries.