Extreme Poverty Foods and Meals

[Tenngal]

we had lots of beans, potatoes, bread and fresh veggies from the garden. My dad raised pork and I did not realize how heavily we relied on it until I was grown up and married. It took me a while to like beef roast, the taste was too strong after years of pork roast. Same with B-B-Q, love the pork over the beef.

[Amaranth]

Here's one similar to one I had in France, though it was hot chocolate over the bread.

Coffee Soup...toasted bread, sugar, milk, then pour hot coffee over all.

[Amaranth]

Here's two more:

This one is just in time for tomato season.
Egg salad on homemade bread with a slice of tomato from the garden

Chicken noodle soup with homemade broth, a small bit of chicken from using the bones for broth, thickening roux from the chicken fat, and homemade noodles. Then add one colorful vegetable to the broth such as a carrot. This can be changed variously according to what vegetables you have or what's ripe in the garden.

[Tenngal]

also remember that we had oatmeal, eggs and biscuits every morning. The kind of oatmeal you actually cook. With butter and sugar added. Yum, Yum.

[Tiam]

I notice peoples stories are about things past. That's good. We don't want to be in desperate deprivation. I wonder if anyone really is this extreme anymore? I never meet anyone with such extreme poverty in the food department. Society seems to have stepped up with food stamps, more food banks and kitchens. I work with people in poverty in my job and I almost never see the kind of deprivation people have dealt with on this thread. What do you think?

[Teacher Terry]

I just read this whole thread and I have never experienced the kind of poverty where I was hungry, etc. My parents grew up during the depression and although they were never hungry they never wasted food either. WE always had leftovers, etc. My DIL is from Poland and her Mom said that when they were communist she spent her whole day standing in line trying to get a loaf of bread, etc. When we were there in Oct they celebrate the day they became free. People are on the street dressed traditionally for the time acting out scenes, trying to get food, etc. It was very eye opening to see. Then at the end of the night they celebrate until the AM.

[Tiam]

I just read this whole thread and I have never experienced the kind of poverty where I was hungry, etc. My parents grew up during the depression and although they were never hungry they never wasted food either. WE always had leftovers, etc. My DIL is from Poland and her Mom said that when they were communist she spent her whole day standing in line trying to get a loaf of bread, etc. When we were there in Oct they celebrate the day they became free. People are on the street dressed traditionally for the time acting out scenes, trying to get food, etc. It was very eye opening to see. Then at the end of the night they celebrate until the AM.

As a child I never experienced hunger. As a homeless/parentless teen I experienced extreme food insecurity as in the cupboards are bare and all have is a packet of soy sauce. As a parent to my children we often had little food but always managed. As an empty nester, single woman, none at all. More food than I can use.

[artist]

I notice peoples stories are about things past. That's good. We don't want to be in desperate deprivation. I wonder if anyone really is this extreme anymore? I never meet anyone with such extreme poverty in the food department. Society seems to have stepped up with food stamps, more food banks and kitchens. I work with people in poverty in my job and I almost never see the kind of deprivation people have dealt with on this thread. What do you think?

I think it depends on who you talk to. We were at that point about 10 years ago. My husband had been out of work for a little over a year, unemployment check was too much to qualify for food stamps but our medications cost such that we were barely making it. We at oatmeal every morning, PB&J for lunch and managed many a rice and bean meal for dinner. Water was served with each meal but we did manage one pot of coffee a day. I recall turkey at thanksgiving time was .39 cents per pound, limit two, so we (dh, ds and myself) went in and got six of them and then returned the next day to do the same. I cooked the meat up and we froze it into two cup portions to be used for the next few months.

[Amaranth]

I notice peoples stories are about things past. That's good. We don't want to be in desperate deprivation. I wonder if anyone really is this extreme anymore? I never meet anyone with such extreme poverty in the food department. Society seems to have stepped up with food stamps, more food banks and kitchens. I work with people in poverty in my job and I almost never see the kind of deprivation people have dealt with on this thread. What do you think?

Tiam, I notice this in some groups I work with. I think part of the bias might come in due to people in that current situation not having much in the way of internet access, or are in such a daily scramble that they wouldn't have time to be on a forum like this.

As an example, one elementary age girl I talked with about her birthday was hoping for an extravagant meal of a spinach omelet. Her family was growing spinach in their garden and she was hoping her mom could squeeze out the money for a carton of eggs. Mostly they had rice and beans and in the summer vegetables from the garden to go with that.

Also people often have to hide how bad things are to avoid social services taking their children, so they don't feel free to talk about it until later.

[Tiam]

Tiam, I notice this in some groups I work with. I think part of the bias might come in due to people in that current situation not having much in the way of internet access, or are in such a daily scramble that they wouldn't have time to be on a forum like this.

As an example, one elementary age girl I talked with about her birthday was hoping for an extravagant meal of a spinach omelet. Her family was growing spinach in their garden and she was hoping her mom could squeeze out the money for a carton of eggs. Mostly they had rice and beans and in the summer vegetables from the garden to go with that.

Also people often have to hide how bad things are to avoid social services taking their children, so they don't feel free to talk about it until later.

Amaranth, I'm not sure what you are saying here? Are you saying it's not known because it isn't visible? I'm not sure what you mean? I'm not saying it doesn't exist at all, but I wonder if it exists at the same level as it did several years ago? I only bring it up because, as I said,I actually work with a high risk population and have for years. I often see the people who work with high risk population having less food than the population they are working with. I am just not seeing it. And I'm actually in the homes.