# Gwyneth Paltrow's Food Stamp Diet
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 14, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655 "2015-04-14T16:24:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 12
### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/221 "2015-04-21T02:44:21Z")
Sounds like the food budget of a college student. As a woman who probably only needs 2000 calories a day $29/wk works out to roughly 500 calories per dollar spent. You have a wide range of foods in that price range.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/222 "2015-04-21T02:44:36Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> Why can’t you get a job?
>
> Just curious.
“and care for my mom full time”. That _is_ a job.
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### Author:  [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/223 "2015-04-21T02:45:24Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> Why can’t you get a job?
>
> Just curious.
The part about being a full time caregiver could play a role.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/224 "2015-04-21T02:52:09Z")
Could, I suppose.
But people don’t need typically 24 hour surveillance. Being out of the house for 4, 6, 8 hours shouldn’t be a problem. It sounds more like an excuse.
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### Author:  [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/225 "2015-04-21T03:02:23Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> Could, I suppose.
>
> But people don’t need typically 24 hour surveillance. Being out of the house for 4, 6, 8 hours shouldn’t be a problem. It sounds more like an excuse.
Doesn’t matter what’s typical - it matters what **Honey’s** mother needs. Some adults need as much care as a two year old and can be left alone for the same amount of time- none. I cannot imagine how you could possibly decide “4, 6, 8 hours shouldn’t be a problem” when you don’t know if the woman can walk safely to the toilet on her own.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/226 "2015-04-21T06:21:14Z")
> [@doreen](#):
>
> Doesn’t matter what’s typical - it matters what **Honey’s** mother needs. Some adults need as much care as a two year old and can be left alone for the same amount of time- none. I cannot imagine how you could possibly decide “4, 6, 8 hours shouldn’t be a problem” when you don’t know if the woman can walk safely to the toilet on her own.
I agree. Yes, maybe some sort on work at home, but most of those are scams.
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### Author:  [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/227 "2015-04-21T06:56:33Z")
Not everyone has the same calorie needs, the same metabolism, or the same medical issues.
If I posted my $29 dollar a week list here I’d be criticized as it being nutritionally wrong too, but it works for me. I walk a couple miles most days and don’t eat anywhere near 2,000 calories, and if I loaded up on starches and beans I’d be a miserable cramping flatulent unhappy camper. This lets me omit some things and add other things I like, I don’t give a shit about nutritional completeness for the most part, and you can buy a thirty day supply of generic centrum at the dollar store. Thats 3.3 cents a day!
I just wish people could discuss frugal eating without getting all judgmental.
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### Author:  [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/228 "2015-04-21T07:13:08Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> Well, I dunno, maybe it worked - yesterday I got a letter from Public Aid stating our monthly SNAP benefit is going up by TWO DOLLARS! Whoo-hoo! Haven’t decided if I’m going to spend the two bucks on a slice of lobster tail or a speck of Kobe beef or maybe just purchase some nuts to go into my banana muffins.
Silly anecdote but after a near death experience I realized I had never in my life had a whole lobster, so I bought a small one for $20 something USD.
The bag boy said whoa you’re buying lobster, I said yea I want to know what a real one tastes like. He said well you’ll have to tell me because I can’t afford in a kind of sarcastic tone. Made me laugh because I never bought one before, and never since.
I still managed to overcook the damn thing.:smack:
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/229 "2015-04-21T13:09:54Z")
> [@grude](#):
>
> Not everyone has the same calorie needs, the same metabolism, or the same medical issues.
^ This.
Just take one simple fact: only a minority of adult humans can properly digest dairy products as an adult. Given that the US is still majority of European descent, a group that has a high percentage of the required mutation to digest lactose into adulthood, this is often forgotten. A lot of “frugal meal plans” feature a _lot_ of dairy.
One way in which the government has gotten things _right_ is that the WIC program has alternatives for women who don’t/can’t eat dairy. This can complicate things, but it has better overall results from a health standpoint which is the entire point of that program - to improve the health of pregnant and breastfeeding women and their children.
In addition to a very limited budget I have to juggle diets for two people with chronic health problems - my spouse’s diabetes and my multiple food allergies. Sure, I can substitute almond butter for peanut butter (and I do) but almond butter runs about twice the cost of peanut butter. I can’t eat lentils. I can’t eat green peas. They are on the shopping list - the other half of the household actually likes them - but my options for non-animal protein are more limited than most. My spouse should be eating whole grains, but it’s quite common for whole grain items to be more expensive - brown rice, for example, is typically three times the cost of white. Sure, you could just tell the poor diabetics to eat white rice, anyhow, but if you consider that in most cases the taxpayer is also paying for their medical care it actually makes more sense to give them a little more for whole grain foods than pay for medical complications from eating overly refined grain items.
(At least in my state, the disabled ARE granted a slightly higher SNAP benefit. It’s a pretty token amount, but then, at the level we’re talking about a couple dollars a week more can make a significant difference)
This is where an actual _class_ with an actual _dietitian_ can be invaluable. Or just having other people to bounce ideas off of.
> [@](#):
>
> I just wish people could discuss frugal eating without getting all judgmental.
^ This.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/230 "2015-04-21T13:32:12Z")
> [@grude](#):
>
> Silly anecdote but after a near death experience I realized I had never in my life had a whole lobster, so I bought a small one for $20 something USD.
>
> The bag boy said whoa you’re buying lobster, I said yea I want to know what a real one tastes like. He said well you’ll have to tell me because I can’t afford in a kind of sarcastic tone. Made me laugh because I never bought one before, and never since.
>
> I still managed to overcook the damn thing.:smack:
That bag boy was an asshole. It’s inappropriate for him to be making snarky comments about people’s groceries. I hope he was fired shortly thereafter.
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### Author:  [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/231 "2015-04-21T13:37:44Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> Why can’t you get a job?
>
> Just curious.
I have a job. I care for my mom full time. It just doesn’t pay anything.
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### Author:  [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/232 "2015-04-21T13:43:18Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> Could, I suppose.
>
> But people don’t need typically 24 hour surveillance. Being out of the house for 4, 6, 8 hours shouldn’t be a problem. It sounds more like an excuse.
Even when I run out to the store, I’m worried about leaving her alone for an hour or so. When she’s sleeping (usually 6-7 hours), I’m sleeping too.
The day will come when she’s gone, and I will re-enter the workforce, but right now, she needs me.
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### Author:  [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/233 "2015-04-21T13:51:21Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> That bag boy was an asshole. It’s inappropriate for him to be making snarky comments about people’s groceries. I hope he was fired shortly thereafter.
You’re expecting a LOT more professionalism out of a bag boy than is even close to realistic. His primary responsibilities are to pack stuff into bags in such a way that your goods aren’t unduly mangled, to help you to your car with your bags if you desire, and probably to go collect the shopping carts from the parking lot.
They’re not hiring that guy for his extraordinary customer service skills; they’re hiring him because he’s a warm body who can be taught not to put the bread in the bottom of the bag and then put a gallon of milk on top.
For all you know, the bag boy could have been some sort of special-needs guy; many special needs people can do that job just fine, if my local grocery is any sort of proof.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/234 "2015-04-21T13:58:47Z")
All I’m suggesting is that the bag boy **grude** encountered should not have made a snarky comment about the lobster; I’d have been fine if he was just silent, or just chatted with the cashier (as they are often doing when I go to the market).
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/235 "2015-04-21T22:54:43Z")
> [@Honey](#):
>
> I have a job. I care for my mom full time. It just doesn’t pay anything.
Have you looked into options to care for her? I know my state provides care givers for special needs children so their parents can work.
I’m just asking. Sorry to hear about your mother and what you’re going through.
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### Author:  [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/236 "2015-04-21T23:00:06Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> All I’m suggesting is that the bag boy **grude** encountered should not have made a snarky comment about the lobster; I’d have been fine if he was just silent, or just chatted with the cashier (as they are often doing when I go to the market).
When I was between jobs I worked at a grocery store. They fired an employee for exactly that reason.
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### Author:  [@LouLou7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouLou7)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/237 "2015-04-22T00:13:41Z")
> [@Honey](#):
>
> Even when I run out to the store, I’m worried about leaving her alone for an hour or so. When she’s sleeping (usually 6-7 hours), I’m sleeping too.
>
> The day will come when she’s gone, and I will re-enter the workforce, but right now, she needs me.
Bless you, Honey. You’re doing a wonderful thing in caring for your mother. 🙂
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### Author:  [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/238 "2015-04-22T00:25:39Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> Could, I suppose.
>
> But people don’t need typically 24 hour surveillance. Being out of the house for 4, 6, 8 hours shouldn’t be a problem. It sounds more like an excuse.
Guess you weren’t ‘just curious’ after all.
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### Author:  [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/239 "2015-04-22T02:43:59Z")
> [@Magiver](#):
>
> Have you looked into options to care for her? I know my state provides care givers for special needs children so their parents can work.
>
> I’m just asking. Sorry to hear about your mother and what you’re going through.
Nothing to be sorry for. I really don’t mind caring for her, and I like the time together.
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### Author:  [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)
#### Post date: [April 22, 2015, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gwyneth-paltrows-food-stamp-diet/717655/240 "2015-04-22T22:51:31Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> I think the latter is the case - she _really is_ that insulated from want. She’s been extremely wealthy all her life, she has _never_ had to budget anything like that before. Of course she didn’t do a good job! _She doesn’t know how_. People are actually born knowing nearly nothing, we have to do something called “learn” to master things. _Everyone_ does a crap job the first time buying food on a tight budget, it’s just that most of us have our first time in our early 20’s, if that late, rather than whatever age Paltrow is right now.
In that case, I suggest that she move into my old place on 13th Bay St in Norfolk VA and be given $120 and a cheap beater of a car. She wouldn’t have to deal with the rent or anything other than eating and car expenses for 30 days. I will even let her have internet, cable tv and a basic cell phone - like one of the cute little nonsmart flip tracphones. Let her see how things go then.
I wonder how she likes washing clothing by hand …
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