Is Junk Food Really Cheaper? Mark Bittman of the New York Times calls for a cultural shift away from fast food and towards buying and cooking healthy food. Read the article here.
My take: He raises some excellent points but glosses over some of the barriers that people living in poverty face. Healthier options at the grocery store may be cheaper than fast food, but the labor required can offset those savings. Yes, the average American watches an hour and a half of TV--but can you blame someone who worked a long shift at a physically demanding job for preferring some fast food in front of the TV over spending a couple hours in the kitchen? Buying in bulk or shopping at farmers markets can save some money--but many poor people live in small and crowded apartments with little space for storing food, and shopping on a Saturday morning may not be an option with work schedules or kids to take care of. So, yes. Advocating for a culture shift towards these healthy options isn't a bad idea. But it may be necessary to do something about these additional barriers that the poor are up against.
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