Healthy Food Not As Available to Poor?

Here is part of a story from the Santa Cruz Sentinel that they quoted over on Diet-Blog:

"There are some poor neighborhoods where you can walk into a grocery store and you'll have a hard time finding fruits or vegetables or milk," said Gonzalo Coronado, director of the diabetes center. "But it's packed with junk food and alcohol. Overall, poor neighborhoods don't have the same accessibility as other neighborhoods might."

Although he is only 7, Jason Jimenez knows what he likes: Fritos, Cheetos and Doritos. His father, Isaac Jimenez, 45, said many children often resort to junk food because their families sometimes can't afford the staples, like meat and potatoes, especially when they're working at minimum wage.

"When you're only making $6.65 an hour, and you've got a family of four to support, it can be difficult," said Jimenez, a manager of a convenience store on East Beach Street in Watsonville. "And if you're away from the house and your kids are left alone, they're going to buy the fastest food they can eat: junk food."

I think this is really interesting. I have long said that eating healthy is really expensive. If you have a choice between a Lean Cuisine meal for $4.00 and Mac & Cheese for less than $1.00, and you're only making $6.65 an hour, which would you choose? I know that fruits and veggies are not that expensive, but when you're buying enough to fill up the entire family, it can get pricey. Especially when a lot of the unhealthy foods--like fast food--fill you up quickly and for very little. When I was at my poorest, I always resorted to things like Kool-Aid, Mac & Cheese, Speghetti O's, and fast food. They were cheap and made me feel full. And when you're concerned about when you'll be able to eat again, feeling full it top priority--not health.