The way the Duggars eat

[Jessica]

My sister has spent some time in prison and much of what the Duggars eat remind me of the dishes my sister said she ate. Come on Duggars, you're making hundreds of thousands every year and live on 20 acres of land... You say you like to "invest" in your children's lives. Invest in some healthy meals (and a garden) so they won't be destined for disease later in life! There is no excuse for them to be living off of velveeta and Cream of Mushroom soup. Once in a while? Sure. But that shouldn't be the foundation of your diet. urbanhomestead.org/ They should check out these people. They have 1/5 an acre and are able to grow 6,000 pounds of produce a year.

They also have that cookbook "From the Kitchen of Two Sisters". They need to find some recipes besides the "spectacular sauteed green beans". The recipes in that cookbook are all very healthy. They have a whole section on making vegetable juices (beets, carrots, celery) and a huge selection of healthy salads (cabbage, carrots, peas, onions instead of a pack of iceberg lettuce) and dressings (olive oil, ACV, lemon juice instead of ranch dressing).

[luckylassie]

Yes. My grandma had a smaller but still pretty big quiver full of kids and raised all of her own meat, eggs, and milk. One milk cow gave enough milk for the whole family and she was able to sell it to neighbors for extra pocket cash. Then, when the cow was ready, it was sent to be made into meat which lasted a pretty long time. I don't think that cows and chickens are that pricey either.

[browngrl]

I don't think there is any real excuse for eating the way the Duggars eat. With all the land and labour they have on hand they could easily grow plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit and lots of other fundies can their own produce (hell even I the evil liberal pant wearing woman that I am make chutneys and relishes and jams). Lean protein need not be expensive (rice + beans, roast turkey (as was already suggested) etc). Plates can easily be purchased from Goodwill (buy used, save the difference). Pickles could be a condiment not a snack. I could go on but the point is that it is entirely possible to eat in a healthy way and in a way that is less damaging to the planet. The Duggers just don't want to.

[Lillian]

I'm pretty sure the Duggars do have a veggie garden. At least, they did a few seasons ago. A local man wanted a veggie garden but didn't have enough space so the Duggars let him use their land in exchange for vegetables. Obviously I don't know if they have kept it up, but they did have one at some point.

[liltwinstar]

I personally kind of give them a pass on the veggie garden thing - sure, yes, ideally, it would be a good idea for them. But maybe they're like me and kill any plant they touch, so it might not be a good use of their time.

I *don't* understand the "stir a bunch of processed food together and serve" way of cooking. There are ways to cook real food that are fairly quick and tasty - crockpot recipes are awesome, egg dishes are fairly cheap and pretty healthy (esp if you make a frittata or something with veggies in it), meats and fish cooked simply and served with a bunch of sides, etc etc - it doesn't have to be that hard.

They have enough $$ at this point that they shouldn't have to skimp on the food costs any more.

[Cassandra]

Maybe Michelle and the J'slaves are just terrible cooks? Those recipes look pretty damn foolproof

[O Latin]

I think a big part of the reason why they don't have a garden is because they're gone so much. Hard to tend the vegetables when you're traveling across the country for weeks at a time. I also wonder if their land would really be any good for gardening. Every time we see it on the show it looks like it's mostly dust and really crappy soil, and there's no shade anywhere, so plants that don't like direct sunlight probably wouldn't do very well.

I don't actually think they eat that bad, but, being a college student, I eat a lot of junk myself (I just eat mostly low fat junk, so I don't gain weight), so I'm probably not the best judge of what constitutes a healthy diet.

[demgirl]

Regarding the tendency of the poor population to feed their kids fast food -- we discussed this a lot in my public health law class. I don't think it's simply the price, it's a lot of other factors. One, the food is addictive and fast food restaurants tend to congregate in poor and minority areas. Two, the time factor. If you're a single mother working until 6 p.m., then taking the bus to pick up the kids from daycare, then taking the bus home, you may not get home until 7 or 7:30 p.m. And you're exhausted, the kids are exhausted, homework needs to be done, baths, etc. You may not feel you have the time to cook a healthy meal. Three, if you live in an urban area with sucky public transportation, it can be difficult to get to a grocery store or even a farmer's market, even on the weekend, partly because of the time costs, partly because of the actual transportation costs, and partly because you have to drag groceries all over the city. I know where we live, there is literally no where to put groceries on a bus. Literally, you can have one or two bags, max unless you can manage to go shopping in the middle of a weekday when the bus is empty and you can take up two or three seats.

I don't know that I want the Duggars to have a garden. You know who would be in charge of planting, watering, harvesting, tilling, etc.

Ialso think their recipes were created when the J'slaves were young so that they could cook them themselves. A nine year old doesn't nceccesarily know how to cook fish and fresh veggies for a group of 14, but they can probably figure out how to open some cans and combine them in a casserole dish. And now they are used to it.

[xReems]

Am I the only who gets annoyed with how much "Cream of Chicken" soup they use in all of their favorite food? Somebody needs to tell them how high in fat and calories that stuff is in.

I'm a college student, myself, and I understand, especially in a dorm, how difficult it can be to try to eat healthy, but the Duggars are living in a huge home with an industrial size kitchen, there is no excuse to be lazy with eating healthy a few times a week. Combining high fat content/calories canned heart attack, heating it up in the microwave, and calling it a meal is not what I call eating healthy.

This is just my personal opinion but I cannot stand it when I see them cooking with Velveeta. I'm not a huge health nut or anything but Velveeta is fake cheese, heart attack in a box. Not trying to offend anyone who enjoys it but after watching Anna make Lard Ass Chickenetti, I almost vomited.

[emmiedahl]

Agreed that it is harder to not live on fast food in certain communities, but I don't think that means it is impossible or that you are not responsible for finding a way to do so. I have endless compassion for the poor and I still think many parents need to do better. It is harder to do everything when you have limited money and transportation, but that does not mean you are absolved of having to be a good parent.

I mean, living in a tiny apartment with several small children makes you want to smack the shit out of them. It makes housekeeping and organization infinitely harder. Being poor makes it more difficult to get children to school. If you don't have reliable and affordable childcare, you might be tempted to let your four year old babysit the baby for a few hours. Bad parenting is still wrong. Same with living on cheeseburgers.

I second the thought that the Duggars are just really crappy cooks and can't handle a recipe that isn't basically opening and mixing canned ingredients.

[nutella addict]

I appreciate my junk food too, and I'm still a student, but I do make sure to still have vegetables, and fresh or frozen most of the time too. I don't usually have that much time to cook when I need to write papers, but that doesn't mean I can't have something like pita and veggies with hummus. You can even make your own hummus using canned chickpeas, and have something healthier than Ranch to dip veggies in! I definitely remember them planting a garden, and how they said that would save them grocery money. The thing is, I can't remember seeing them eat many fresh veggies ever.

There's some diabetes in my family and so even though I never diet or anything I do try not to binge on sweets too often. I think maybe it helps that my parents were never very restrictive with our snacks and treats, just insistent on three real meals a day and at least a few servings of vegetables. I seem to have more self-control with and less desire for excessive sweets than my friends who never or rarely had sweets as kids, and all of us grew up a healthy weight and stayed a healthy weight in college despite student staples like KD/EasyMac/Ramen.

If Josh is anything to go by, the Duggars will gain weight when they move out and stop sharing meals with 20-odd people and running after the young'uns. Even the older boys are gaining weight now that they're not growing so much anymore. The boys don't actually know how to cook enough to live on their own, the girls don't know how to cook all that much from scratch, and they're used to the taste of high fat/very salty foods so other foods might taste bland to them. There's a world of difference between the tastes of canned veggies and those of fresh or frozen ones, if you're used to the canned ones you may not like the fresh/frozen variety.

And I CANNOT STAND to see all the paper/styrofoam/plastic. There is nothing environmentally-conscious, nevermind -friendly, about that family.

[O Latin]

You know, if it hadn't been for these snark forums, it never would have occurred to me that paper/styrofoam plates are bad for the environment (I'm not stupid, I promise, I just don't always put two and two together very quickly). I might have even though they were better because you would save water by not doing dishes. I wonder if maybe the Duggars have a similar thought process. I would never have used paper plates anyway, because it would be so annoying to have to keep buying new ones, but I could understand how they might think it's a good idea.

[nuri]

Agreed that it is harder to not live on fast food in certain communities, but I don't think that means it is impossible or that you are not responsible for finding a way to do so. I have endless compassion for the poor and I still think many parents need to do better. It is harder to do everything when you have limited money and transportation, but that does not mean you are absolved of having to be a good parent.

I mean, living in a tiny apartment with several small children makes you want to smack the shit out of them. It makes housekeeping and organization infinitely harder. Being poor makes it more difficult to get children to school. If you don't have reliable and affordable childcare, you might be tempted to let your four year old babysit the baby for a few hours. Bad parenting is still wrong. Same with living on cheeseburgers.

I second the thought that the Duggars are just really crappy cooks and can't handle a recipe that isn't basically opening and mixing canned ingredients.

The bolded statement and the shaming you are doing don't seem to go together. Your seeming response to demgirl's reasoning is pretty much "well they should try harder!" when she's saying that they are already trying hard.

Dem: did you see the newer study showing that even when a food desert is lessened, people still don't buy healthier foods. I think the research is showing that merely improving access doesn't solve anything, because if you've not been able to cook veggies before -- now you have to invest the time to learn how to make and eat them. Improving nutrition is going to be such a stubborn problem.

[emmiedahl]

How is it shaming to say that people need to feed their kids the healthiest food they have access to? Living on dollar menu=not an option. It's not a "they" with me, it's a "we". I think most people in this country need to try harder to be better parents. Duh.

[nuri]

How is it shaming to say that people need to feed their kids the healthiest food they have access to? Living on dollar menu=not an option. It's not a "they" with me, it's a "we". I think most people in this country need to try harder to be better parents. Duh.

What dem and myself are saying is that sometimes, the dollar menu is the healthiest food they have access to in terms of money, time and preparation skill/ability. And the work that needs to be done to improve that will need to be both institutional and personal. And none of it should involving shaming a person -- that will only shut down any progress that needs to be made.

I'll tell a related story: My husbands old supervisor is on a board of directors for charity. They wanted to do some financial literacy work for the poor, awesomesauce. One of the other members chairs the event. They get a fairly big turnout for this workshop, and the man who organized it goes out and gives his presentation on....building your investment portfolio. And didn't understand why the workshop didn't go over well and why it took a huge concentrated effort of husband's supervisor to rebuild the trust in that community.

[emmiedahl]

Heh, funny story. I've seen stuff like that happen.

I do not mean to shame anyone and I think that is a poor way to approach a situation. On the other hand, giving people a free pass to saddle their children with a lifetime of health problems when there is any other alternative does not help. As you pointed out, unhealthy eating does not change even when the food desert situation is alleviated. This suggests that there are lifestyle issues or personal preferences that are taking priority over the health and well-being of children. Which is not okay. It is a situation that needs addressed in ways other than simply excusing the behavior.

I live in subsidized housing and we are so lucky to have two grocery stores in what I consider a comfortable walking distance (1 mile-ish). Lucky, definitely, since I have only limited access to a vehicle and I passionately hate toting groceries on the bus. It does not seem to help many of my neighbors, however. The kids run around this complex with a bag of Cheetos and a 2 liter of Mountain Dew, like all day, every day I see it. It is not okay.

[nuri]

I lived in subsidized housing in a similar situation (I rode my bike with panniers to the local grocery store down the street, because it was stupid to drive), and there's still things you have to deal with. But your, and my own situation, is one that can be improved with time and patience. Introducing nutrition into schools, better school lunches (and breakfast!), so that kids are exposed to foods they might not see at home. Reintroduce cooking classes for all ages, community gardens. Shit, even let wic/food stamps be used for HOT foods, so that if time is of the essence, that a parent can pick up a roast chicken on the way home instead of the dollar menu.

It's such a weird and contradictory problem to be solved, and a lot of the things aren't going to be popular. I mean, I've seen people get upset when I worked in a grocery store that the person in front of them, bought the same exact groceries as they did, with their LINK card. As if poor people have to be held to a higher standard that everyone else.

/and now that I've had a great day of eating well, I'm going to gorge on the fudge I made this weekend.

[emmiedahl]

I think we are very lucky in my area in that the school lunches are very good. They have the standard corn dogs and such, but they have two fruit choices and two veggie choices with every meal, and a lot of these are fresh and locally sourced. I think education is a great idea and that there are a lot of good things going on in that area (edited to add: thanks to Michelle Obama's involvement). My WIC stamps include vouchers for whole grains and fresh fruits or veggies, and this is supposed to become the case nationwide in the near future.

If you give people free healthy food, they'll find a way to use it. I don't think anyone will buy Cheetos when the blueberries are free.

The judgment involved in food stamp/WIC use pisses me off. I have so many stories. Everyone who has used either program has those stories. It's unfortunate.

The Duggars, on the other hand, have no excuse.

[EllieCee]

I took a look at a few of their recipes, and...eugh. Their "banana" cake isn't even an actual banana cake. However, what I really skeeve is their liberal use of Velveeta. I don't know about anyone else, but I find Velveeta to be disgusting. I know that some cheese is expensive, but it can't hurt to stock your shelves with actual cheese, it'd be better in the long run.

And can somebody explain to me what liquid amino is? Is it really better than soy sauce? Being Asian, I've grown up using soy sauce.

[LadyBBR]

I think it is so easy to make assumptions and judgements about people in poverty, especially if you yourself don't have a lot of money and then try to compare your life to others'. There is all kinds of poverty, and so many problems that can go with it. If someone is struggling with mental health issues, limited or no access to health care, domestic violence, a dangerous neighborhood, no family support, kids who are growing up way before their time, she might not put healthy eating at the top of your priority list. And can you blame her?

[InkyGirl]

I took a look at a few of their recipes, and...eugh. Their "banana" cake isn't even an actual banana cake. However, what I really skeeve is their liberal use of Velveeta. I don't know about anyone else, but I find Velveeta to be disgusting. I know that some cheese is expensive, but it can't hurt to stock your shelves with actual cheese, it'd be better in the long run.

And can somebody explain to me what liquid amino is? Is it really better than soy sauce? Being Asian, I've grown up using soy sauce.

Velveeta I HATE that stuff. My mom used to use it for a lot of stuff. Ugh. gross.

[Jessica]

I took a look at a few of their recipes, and...eugh. Their "banana" cake isn't even an actual banana cake. However, what I really skeeve is their liberal use of Velveeta. I don't know about anyone else, but I find Velveeta to be disgusting. I know that some cheese is expensive, but it can't hurt to stock your shelves with actual cheese, it'd be better in the long run.

And can somebody explain to me what liquid amino is? Is it really better than soy sauce? Being Asian, I've grown up using soy sauce.

It's not quite as salty as soy sauce and has a slightly different flavor.

Velveeta is SO gross. I got some to try out "the famous chickenetti" and it smells weird, is like rubbery play-dough, and I noticed the box said "use within 8 weeks". Uh... if something that didn't start out refrigerated is able to be kept for 8 weeks, I'm a little scared!

[tinuviel]

Totally agree. Velveeta is the devil. My only exception is in the case of spicy queso dip, but that is only a sometimes food.

I eat fairly well and I don't spend a ton of time in the kitchen. There are so many things that are delicious when tossed with oil, salt, and pepper and thrown into a hot oven. I'm a big fan of throw things into a pot/pan style cooking. And hell, it's easy enough to make vegetarian chili out of canned beans, tomatoes, and chilis. No more work than TTC, but way healthier and still filling.

About the poverty/food desert issue: I wonder how much education and habits factor in. If kids are raised in homes with nothing but cheetos and mountain dew, then they're probably going to feed their own kids the same thing. If you're not used to cooking with fresh veggies, then you might not be all that motivated to try something new and potentially challenging that might not turn out or that the kids might not want to eat. Especially when everyone's already tired and hungry.

Not saying this makes it okay to feed your kid nothing but junk food, but I think it does make it really important to teach kids about healthy food and cooking. It would be awesome if community centers would do occasional classes or workshops for adults too, but I think the kids might be a better bet.

Man... just thinking of Jamie Oliver trying to get eight-year-olds to identify different vegetables. Some of them couldn't even recognize a potato. O.O I believe this was somewhere in rural Virginia.

[O Latin]

I've never had Velveeta, because my mom share's most of your sentiments about it (I think maybe her mother cooked with it when she was growing up, and she hated it), but from what I've seen of it, it looks like it would easily melt to create a very thick cheese sauce, a la boxed mac and cheese or nacho dip. I think that would be a little harder to do with real cheese, so if that's what you want, maybe Velveeta is your best bet? Also, it seems to come in enormous blocks, even bigger than the big blocks of cheese you can get, so it's good for feeding a crowd. And am I correct in thinking it doesn't need refrigeration? The Duggars seem to have lots of pantry space and lots of freezer space, but I don't recall that we've ever seen a larger than normal size fridge (have we). That could explain some of their love of cans.

[emmiedahl]

I second that Velveeta is only good for queso dip, and then you have to eat it while it's hot or it sets into this cheesy jello ridiculousness. Ugh, it's expensive too. I can get Tillamook cheddar for the same or cheaper price, which is heaven.