Are You In D-EBT?

Food stamps. This archaic phrase had left my vocabulary long ago and not until recently have I given it any thought at all. For those who aren’t fresh on the details, food stamps can be used for breads, cereals, fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, dairy, and food-producing seeds and plants. Food stamps also go by the name Electronic Benefit Transfers or EBT. According to a USA Today article, stores that are eligible to accept food stamps have to “sell at least three varieties of foods in each of four categories” (dairy, breads/cereals, fruits and vegetables, and meat, fish and poultry). An alternative eligibility requirement states that “more than half of total gross sales must be in ‘staple food,’ which means no candy, soft drinks or prepared foods.” Sounds like a healthy diet to me.

However, when I was seven years old, my family immigrated to the United States from Latvia. We were given government aid and assigned to assimilation agencies that help new immigrants adjust. And we were given food stamps. I remember feeling ashamed of it and hoping no one ever found out. The way I feel about food stamps now is quite different. First of all, it is more socially acceptable because of the tanking economy. No one will look at you sideways for using food stamps at the grocery store (and maybe they never did). Second of all, many of my friends who have graduated from college are paying exorbitant, New-York-City rent prices, loans, and transportation costs, and they are eligible for food stamps. And guess what! They get them. And they eat well. And I couldn’t be happier about it.

In fact, I just found out that more and more stores are accepting food stamps, including wholesale distributers like Costco, convenience stores like 7-Eleven, and my personal favorite, Target! During my undergraduate college years, I discovered the joys of shopping at Target. I think this store caters so well to people’s wallets without sacrificing quality. My roommate and I were crazy about the Target food section and, as I’ve been chatting away to people lately about how amazing it is that people can finally buy food at Target with food stamps, I’ve realized that many actually don’t even know it has a giant food department! Like, a gourmet one! With brands we like! Target carries cereals/breads, frozen food and meals, dairy, lunch meats, and much more. The brands you find are the ones you love like Kashi, Gatorade, and Pepperidge Farm. The prices are cheaper. The quality is the same. The gourmet food Target brand, Archer Farms, delivers high-quality marinades, salsas, jellies, nut mixes, boxed meals, and desserts. Another great Target brand, Market Pantry, offers cereals, frozen foods, soups, and dairy, among many more.

While I hope that food stamps are not the permanent solution to our financial problems, I am really excited that there are more choices for people who need them. And, though I am not on food stamps, I just wanted to throw a shout out to those people who are and alert them to the amazing deals and products now available to everyone. Other retailers that are starting to accept EBT include CVS and BJ’s Wholesale Club.

-Elina is a blogger for The Daily Vine. Check out her bio to see where her view comes from.