An argument has broken out at Mark Bittman's food blog about whether poor people in America can possibly eat healthy food: Frozen Potatoes for the Masses? . From Bitten - Dining & Wine - New York Times Blog.
I see this argument crop up all the time. Plenty of naysayers claim that organic food and healthy eating in general are hobbies for the rich and not practical or obtainable for the poor in this country.
Why don't you go over to Robert Waldrop's Better Times Cookbook and Almanac of Useful Information for Poor People? See what he has to teach his fellow poor folk about eating well on a limited budget.
You'll find his Recipes for the Frugal Kitchen, as well as shopping lists for when your wallet is nearly empty.
Mr. Waldrop founded the Oklahoma Food Coop, whose producers grew and sold $2 million dollars worth of local produce in 2007, their fourth year in operation. Waldrop's Food Coop Blog is an interesting window into the whole project.
Here's a man who has a vision of living well on less, dovetailing with his commitment to social justice. He goes out and makes things happen to further that vision. He doesn't sit around complaining that there's no way it can be done, that the poor in America are stuck eating pre-processed, high fat, empty calorie food, because it's cheap and life is too difficult for people to cook for themselves any longer.
"Optimism is easier than pessimism," says Waldrop - a sign of hope.
Update: if you're new to my Frugal Food series, here are more arguments for frugal, good food:
Sharon Astyk, peak oil activist, organic farmer and sustainable agriculture maven, tells us how to eat cheap. This is not about ramen and canned soup. Sharon makes clear that she has never had much money, and she believes eating organic and living frugally can go together. She makes it work in her life, and wants you to do it in yours - to save the planet, not just your budget and your health.
Rebecca Blood's Organic Thrifty Food Challenge - a month of eating organic on a food stamp budget, with pictures, menus and some recipes.
The People's Grocery in Oakland - healthy, organic food for one of my city's poorest areas.
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