[IMA-HelenT]

For reference: here’s what the bill does:

✅ Directs the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to seek federal approval to expand nutrition services under Medicaid.

✅ Covers services like case management, nutrition counseling, medically tailored meals, pantry stocking, grocery provisions, and even “nutrition prescriptions.”

✅ Prioritizes partnerships with community-based organizations and local growers for these nutrition programs.

✅ Requires the State Department of Education to help schools apply for grants through the Oklahoma Farm to School Program—helping bring more fresh, healthy food to students.

[Jeff Gerber]

In some respects, there are foods which are harmful that the human body is designed to crave such as high fructose corn syrup, which I think would be great if they were regulated, based on sound scientific studies of course. The food pyramid of course, as many of us know, was designed by big farming.

I certainly like the idea of Laissez-faire here. “As a system of thought, laissez-faire rests on the following axioms: “the individual is the basic unit in society, i.e., the standard of measurement in social calculus; the individual has a natural right to freedom; and the physical order of nature is a harmonious and self-regulating system.”[1] The original phrase was laissez faire, laissez passer, with the second part meaning ‘let (things) pass’.”

Though at the same time, I think there needs to be protection from harmful foods and perhaps this would be one way to curb the influence of things like high fructose corn syrup. Say for example no foods with “added sugar”.

[IMA-HelenT]

thanks @jrgerber Good points.

However, I would like to see a more simple and honest system of labelling – I think that could be regulated and enforced. I would like big bright stickers on food items when extra ingredients are added to preserve them, that says something like made or finished off in a lab.

It would be great to get back to real food being food again, other stuff being called something else. I know I live in a dream world.

For now, I try to only eat food that don’t have lots of ingredients. And I use an app called Yuka, I am sure it’s not perfect, but it really helps with labels especially when I am in foreign countries.

How do you manage?

[Jeff Gerber]

I share your dream world! 💙

[IMA-GregT]

😄

[Jeff Gerber]

I think children are definitely a big part of this conversation. When I see children who are obviously unhealthy due to the food in their schools and the food at home, it is emotional to think this is being done to them and they have no choice in the matter. There is a tendency for bad food to be cheaper, and folks can’t afford to get the good food. Never before in history have we been at this level of poor health due to what we eat. Find a picture of folks on the beach from the 1970’s for example and you find yourself shocked at how different we look today. This isn’t the fault of people. The accountability rests upon our government to push for health in our society. How we have fallen to a state where something called “pink slime” ends up in our school cafeterias is beyond understanding. Bad “food” is near inescapable in our society today and going into a supermarket to shop it is near impossible to find quality food. It’s tedious reading labels and trying to make sense of it. Comparing A versus B with respect to carbohydrate/protein/fat ratios and on and on.

I live in a small community environment and that gives me an advantage of finding eggs for sale on an honor system at the ends of driveways, a local creamery with hand milked A2 cows, people keeping bees, butcher shops where people bring in their own livestock… this is uncommon and unavailable to most people nowadays.

[IMA-GregT]

Sounds like your main protein food sources are impeccable. I remember those beach days in the 70s, and your point is well-made.