Updated: November 27, 2020
Originally Published: January 18, 2018
It’s a familiar refrain. “If people who are struggling would just cook more,” someone might remark, leaving the implication that by simply using their stove and preparing meals from scratch, they could escape poverty. A viral meme, dubbed the “Twenty Dollar Food Showdown,” illustrated this notion: it compared what one could buy for $20 at fast food restaurants versus a grocery store. The message was clear: avoid purchasing convenience foods, and perhaps financial struggles would dissipate. Fast food staples like pizzas, fried chicken, and frozen snacks become scapegoats for poverty, with the suggestion that learning to cook is the magical solution.
However, this perspective oversimplifies the real issues at play. Numerous obstacles challenge the argument that “poor individuals should just learn to cook.” I personally encountered these barriers during my graduate studies when I lived in a less-than-ideal neighborhood on a tiny stipend. My partner and I were resolute in our desire not to ask for financial help from our families—though, ultimately, we had to, something many low-income individuals lack. We wanted to prepare our meals, but our kitchen was equipped with only the most basic pots and pans. We couldn’t even make homemade mac and cheese; Kraft was all we could afford. The idea of cooking a whole chicken was laughable, let alone a turkey, which we once received from a food bank. The necessary tools for such an endeavor were simply nonexistent.
Even if we had managed to find space in our tiny oven, we wouldn’t have had the means to prepare any side dishes. Ingredients for homemade stuffing were beyond our budget, and cooking sweet potatoes was a challenge we could generally manage. Spices? Forget it. We couldn’t even afford a potato masher for mashed potatoes.
We were fortunate to have even the most basic kitchen tools, like a colander we found at a thrift store. But essential items like good knives or a blender were absent. The cooking appliances we did have worked—except for a single burner on the stove. I once lived in a place that didn’t even have a stove, relying on a microwave until the landlord delivered a decades-old replacement. Many people in this country live without basic utilities, not because they choose to eat fast food, but due to low wages, job loss, or health issues.
Many of us face financial hurdles and a lack of equipment, compounded by another critical factor: we were never taught how to cook. My roommate had grown up in a single-parent household, often eating instant ramen, while I came from a family where my mother, despite being a good cook, rarely had the time to prepare meals due to her demanding job and education. By the time I reached graduate school, I had never even handled raw meat beyond bacon. I didn’t know how to cook a chicken or turkey, so I turned to convenience foods out of necessity. Recipe books would have assumed I had kitchen gadgets and spices that were simply out of reach.
Time constraints were another significant barrier. My partner, who is now the primary cook in our household, finds it hard to manage cooking from scratch amidst a busy schedule with work and three children. Back then, my life revolved around studying, juggling an underpaid job, and attending classes. Meals had to be quick and easy, leaving no room for the time-consuming preparations of homemade dishes.
To prepare meals, one needs financial resources, essential equipment, working appliances, and utilities. Many individuals lack even a stable living situation where cooking is feasible. When circumstances are dire, fast food becomes a tempting option, a way to bring some semblance of normalcy to difficult times. After all, who hasn’t indulged in a fast-food feast during a power outage to create a festive atmosphere for children, masking their fears about the situation?
Low-income individuals are just like anyone else. I’m the same person I was during my financially struggling days, and cooking from scratch won’t resolve all of life’s challenges. So, it’s essential to step back from classist judgments and recognize this critical truth: many of us are just one setback away from similar struggles.
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In summary, it’s crucial to acknowledge that the challenges associated with cooking and nutrition for low-income individuals extend far beyond mere choice and laziness. The barriers are systemic and deeply rooted in socioeconomic conditions.