Hacker News Reader

Comment by bluefirebrand | Hacker News Reader

It can be very hard to eat a healthy diet if you're poor or if you live in a food desert, or you have a dietary restriction, or some allergies...

View on HN

And it becomes even harder when you mix any of those two criteria, let alone more. Then factor in your environment. It is way easier to eat healthily in Italy than in the US. (Maybe that is what you meant with Food desert.)

Food Deserts are a concept that can exist anywhere but yes, I think they are more common in the rural USA. They are places that don't have nearby access to decent grocery stores, basically. Instead they have to buy all of their food from convenience stores. Imagine doing all of your food shopping at a gas station store because that's the only groceries around. That's a food desert.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert

Not just a rural thing. Plenty of poor areas in big cities have a dearth of affordable grocery stores.

I disagree on the “if you’re poor”. I find eating healthy cheaper.

You can prepare healthy meals from basic and cheap foodstuffs like vegetables, whole grains and legumes, eggs, low cost meat cuts etc. You can prepare delicious meals for under $1 each.

Buying prepared unhealthy foods is what is expensive.

> I find eating healthy cheaper.

Being poor is very expensive.

> You can prepare delicious meals for under $1 each.

If you have the time and resources to do so.

And also are located near a grocery store with those kinds of cheap prices.

Many poor people literally do not live near a grocery store, the only place they can get foodstuff is a convenience store. Those always have high markups

Reply on news.ycombinator.com