Trump wants to replace grocery aid for seniors with "MAHA food boxes"
Source: msn/CBS News
11h
President Trump's proposed budget for next year could include big changes for a small food aid program that helps low-income senior citizens supplement their diets. Under the plan, funding for the program called the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) would be cut, and seniors instead would receive what the Trump administration is calling "MAHA food boxes" filled with products sourced directly from farmers.
The food boxes whose name stems from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s pledge to "Make America Healthy Again" could eventually also be rolled out to either "supplant or complement current USDA programs," the U.S. Department of Agriculture told CBS MoneyWatch in an email. The agency didn't disclose what other government programs could integrate use of the MAHA food boxes. The USDA administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, more commonly known as food stamps. The agency also oversees other food aid programs such as Women, Infants and Children, which is aimed at pregnant women and kids, as well as the National School Lunch program.
"Unlike the current approach using food banks, which provide those in need with shelf-stable foods that are high in sodium and other harmful ingredients, MAHA boxes would be filled with commodities sourced from domestic farmers and given directly to American households," the Trump budget proposal notes. The CSFP helps about 730,000 low-income seniors annually through its $389 million budget, according to the USDA. By comparison, the food-stamp program spent about $100 billion last year to provide assistance to 41 million Americans, according to the USDA.
"We have no details"
The CSFP is essential for low-income seniors who are struggling to put food on the table, said George Matysik, executive director of Share Food Program, a nonprofit in Philadelphia. He expressed concern about the Trump administration's plans to replace the CSFP with food boxes, noting the logistical complexity of getting perishable food from farmers directly to older Americans. Another question is whether the foods included in the food boxes would meet the needs of seniors who often need shelf-stable foods because many struggle to get to the store, Matysik said.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-wants-to-replace-grocery-aid-for-seniors-with-maha-food-boxes/ar-AA1Em6Q2

LPBBEAR
(533 posts)Make America Hungry Again
ananda
(31,660 posts)
BidenRocks
(1,427 posts)The Three Stooges.
Maha!?
Aha!
Then some nonsense.
My brain is trying to save me.
Ferrets are Cool
(22,164 posts)
Aristus
(69,877 posts)First thing I thought of.
tinrobot
(11,536 posts)As in "laughing wickedly"
hlthe2b
(109,530 posts)ago--which never came, included no meat, or was merely "left-over" rotting vegetables from "connected" sources.
What campaign donor will be sourcing what goes into those boxes and how damned demeaning for a decision to be made about what elderly people CAN eat and from where.
RFK Jr, once again, shows his love for active eugenics in his childhood policies and a near genocidal attitude toward the elderly--aided by TRUMP/MAGA et al policies and plans for Medicaid/Medicare cuts. When all these elderly are dumped out of their nursing homes because of the latter, will RFK Jr send his boxes to the underpasses they will now call "home?" Will they visit the homes now without heat (with the dumping of the LIHEAP) to retrieve the frozen bodies seated next to their last MAHA box?
Irish_Dem
(69,306 posts)Another big stupid idea that has no merit, logically impossible.
But he can start a federal spending program and give out money to people who bribe him.
He gets a big chunk of cash directly into his pocket.
tonekat
(2,211 posts)Don't mind the bruised fruit and rotting vegetables.
You can bet some rich bitch will spend as little as possible to fulfill the requirements.
questionseverything
(10,793 posts)Soy beans, field corn, hay , oats and sorghum in your box isnt going to feed your family
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)like lettuce, strawberries, oranges, and tomatoes being in the boxes that will come from farms that no longer have workers to harvest those crops. That is because their "deal leader" happily deported all the workers who picked them.
They "govern" by spewing "talking points" that the media will gobble up and publish and none of it is actually based in reality.
questionseverything
(10,793 posts)Compared to
95.33 million acres of corn 🌽
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)they are talking about cutting off all the food pantry grants and creating their "own" agreements, completely clueless as to how any of these programs operate and how people use them and access them.
questionseverything
(10,793 posts)*rump as usual is doing the worst possible thing
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)But I think this was focusing on the smaller local ( "out of hand" edible) produce farmers who have participated in programs that supply local supermarkets, pantries, farmer's markets, etc., which is obviously not the same as those whose fields of grains are processed to produce flour (wheat, corn, rye, barley, etc) or for other mass-production use (e.g., oils like soybean, corn & rapeseed).
E.g., fruit from orchards, vineyards, groves (e.g., olives), and anything that is generally "soft" and is minimally processed.
blue_jay
(58 posts)everywhere? Serious question, I don't know if they have analyzed this. And are all those seniors adept at cooking/ whole food prep or even able to at whatever age they are at? Not trying to be a contrarian but I know my mom stopped cooking at some point as she got older and really didn't want to be told what to eat. Not sure my dad could cook things of any complexity, had bad teeth so hard to chew. I would love to see govt funding given to support smaller local and organic farming. Just think there is a far wiser, more thoughtful way to attempt this (though with big money focused interest, it is a large hurdle that has yet to be overcome and needs to be). So many don't connect the dots between the reduced quality of the food supply and their health.
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)But the DOGE boys decided go through and take a chainsaw to them.
I.e., local supermarkets, food pantries, and non-profit programs had funding/grants from both the federal government and donations and had set up relationships with local farmers to get produce that could be boxed along with other goods for their local seniors, disabled, and low-income residents. You actually had expanded relationships that were put in place during the pandemic when you had lines of people picking up boxes of mixed dry good/non-perishables and produce (where many had lost their jobs during the pandemic and had no income coming in) and I expect they kept that going after the pandemic waned -
It's bad enough that they are trying to kill funding for programs like "Meals on Wheels" for the shut-ins.
Apr 10, 2025
ARLINGTON, Va., April 10, 2025 Meals on Wheels America President and CEO Ellie Hollander today issued the following statement regarding the House passage of a budget blueprint that paves the way for detrimental cuts to safety-net programs:
Its beyond disheartening to see both chambers of Congress push forward a budget reconciliation blueprint that sets the stage for harmful impacts to vital programs that help support older adults, including elimination of the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program and significant cuts to SNAP and Medicaid.
Meals on Wheels providers arent getting the funding they need through their primary federal source the Older Americans Act (OAA) because it hasnt kept pace with the rapid growth in the senior population and rising costs. Thats why supplemental funding sources, like the SSBG program that Meals on Wheels providers in 37 states use to help bridge gaps, are so critical.
If Congress takes away SSBG funding and weakens other programs that Meals on Wheels providers rely on, many will be left with no choice but to reduce services, add seniors to a waitlist or turn some seniors facing hunger away altogether. Demand is likely to skyrocket further as cuts to other safety-net programs like SNAP and Medicaid would limit access, reduce benefits and worsen food insecurity and hardship for millions more older Americans at a time when resources already arent keeping up with the need.
The passage of this budget blueprint marks the next step in a process with the stated goal of reducing federal spending. Yet eliminating the SSBG program does the opposite and would result in increased federal spending for health care and long-term care expenses for older adults. Meals on Wheels is a proven public-private partnership designed to keep seniors healthy and independent in their own homes and out of costly health care facilities. In fact, our networks key services reduce costs: we can serve a senior Meals on Wheels for an entire year for roughly the same cost as just one day in the hospital or 10 days in a nursing home.
We implore Members of Congress to meet with their local Meals on Wheels providers and the seniors they serve to experience firsthand the profound impact and cost savings our programs make every day. As the House and Senate move toward a reconciliation bill, we hope our message to Capitol Hill is clear: any cuts or policy changes that exacerbate an already dire situation for millions of older Americans is unacceptable.
# # #
pazzyanne
(6,672 posts)Walleye
(40,001 posts)BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)of planning the concept of a plan.
Walleye
(40,001 posts)Diamond_Dog
(36,857 posts)forgotmylogin
(7,833 posts)There's no way to ship actual produce on this scale at a minimal price. The box usually had off-brand cans of soup and stew, canned vegetables, tortillas, crackers, fruit snacks and pop tarts, oatmeal, rice, powdered milk, and dry rice and bean packets - nothing perishable. It was not terrible food, but like you said, nothing that farmers are going to pack into boxes.
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)when horse-drawn carts went through neighborhoods with fresh produce -
forgotmylogin
(7,833 posts)Response to BumRushDaShow (Reply #6)
forgotmylogin This message was self-deleted by its author.
cadoman
(1,252 posts)You correctly identify all the inputs demanded by capitalist, industrialized food.
But what if there emerged a government driven demand for real food through the SNAP program? Directly connecting real food to those who need it most?
Should we oppose it? I know local farmers who tried to grow real food but they couldn't compete with the loss leaders at the local grocery.
There will also have to be a training element to this as most people don't know how to cook real food (myself included). Turnips, cabbages, potatoes, carrots, lettuces, etc. would largely go to waste until people could learn recipes.
yardwork
(66,550 posts)I've participated in programs where I paid small local farmers upfront for boxes of produce throughout the growing season. The idea is that farmers get the money to buy seeds and starts, and the customer gets fresh produce as it's harvested.
Even as a relatively young, healthy person I had trouble using the produce. I would receive enormous amounts of just one crop - like turnips - for a few weeks in a row. Then I'd get a huge bag of cabbage the next week. One year I got double portions of everything and halfway through the summer the farmer said that was it. Season was over. And weather affected the quality. And it didn't keep long. Had to cook or can those cabbages right away because they turned brown after a few days. I threw a lot away.
It's not as easy as it looks to make this work. It's not the Disney fantasy of a box of fresh lettuce, strawberries, green beans, and squash. Those crops don't ripen at the same time.
That's why we have grocery stores.
RobinA
(10,317 posts)a whole new food distribution infrastructure alongside our existing food distribution infrastructure.
yardwork
(66,550 posts)The hypocrisy is particularly galling. All this pretense that RFK, Jr. and Trump and Musk care about people's health!
llmart
(16,423 posts)Would anyone ever look at either of those three doofuses and say, "Now there's a picture of health. I bet they know everything about what to eat to stay healthy."
questionseverything
(10,793 posts)You are talking about reinventing a system that already works great or did until the evil one got hold of it
Keepthesoulalive
(1,240 posts)Was known as the breadbasket of the confederacy. The valley has been in a drought for years and small farmers are having a difficult time. Small farmers cannot afford to grow on a scale that can feed millions plus we deported the farm workers. The small organic farm able to sustain a nation of 300 million people is a myth. Growing things indigenous to an area (oranges) and being able to ship them all over the country has improved our ability to eat healthier if we choose. We need to extend that to our neediest citizens but the orange dipshit aint about that.
AllaN01Bear
(25,019 posts)always been.
Born Free
(1,637 posts)Left over spoiled produce that no one would buy in a store, add this to the children that should expect 2 dolls and 5 pencils for Christmas and it starts to look like something other than USA.
bucolic_frolic
(50,203 posts)Will severely impact regional farmers and canners. City food banks will source from what - suburban produce? Or spoilage from supermarkets? That would be my guess.
This is about money and making the program go away. There is no sodium crisis and other harmful ingredients in food banks.
Every one of us should investigate the "harmful ingredients" in these programs. Harmful? In basic food stuffs? Vegetables?
MiHale
(11,624 posts)Give king donnie a box full of fresh veggies tell him to go fix dinner
it would be a great Food Network show.
Most Clueless Cooks in America.
cadoman
(1,252 posts)We can't eat the processed food section forever and prosper as a society? Or am I wrong? I respect the highly educated people here a lot. Maybe I misunderstand the benefits of processed foods? It wouldn't surprise me.
https://soylent.com/collections/all-drinks
This product was very positively reviewed by the wise minds at Ars Technica. Maybe that is the future we should fight for when we retake power? I am all ears.
yardwork
(66,550 posts)Think about the practical implications of receiving a 10-lb box of carrots - and nothing else - if you don't have a functional refrigerator.
And why are you assuming that SNAP recipients buy only processed food? Because Trump says so?
Diamond_Dog
(36,857 posts)Yet Meals on Wheels they consider a waste of $.
questionseverything
(10,793 posts)It takes an hour and a half to boil a large beet until its tender enough to eat
moms working two jobs dont have that kind of time and dont even start me on what it takes to make a turnip enticing
Besides you can already buy them with food stamps, its just nobody picks them ( or not many people do)
Initech
(104,709 posts)And not for a Fox News sanctioned photo op either.
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)that made the rounds -
RMoney had a similar "wow" grocery/convenience store moment (and the store is called "Wawa" without the "s", named for the town where the dairy and later convenience store chain was founded - in Delaware County, PA, which sits adjacent to Philly) -
Their "help" buys the groceries for the house.
LisaM
(29,165 posts)The quality of the produce was fine - it was good - but the basket was always challenging, for lack of a better word. It was unusual to get kitchen staples like lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. We chose the items one at a time in turn (there were three of us) and anything like that went first. Then we'd be stuck with things like purple potatoes, weird beans, and other things that didn't lend themselves to cooking easy meals after work. Last to go every week was what we referred to as the "bag o weeds". If there was something tempting like basil, we practically fought over it.
My point is that low income seniors (or anyone with food challenges) will end up getting stuck with a bunch of stuff they can't, or won't want to, use. A lot of this will rot on the shelves. Farmers will stick in all the low sellers, like they did in our CSA basket. It felt like a scam.
This is not Trump's first go round trying to dictate what food people should buy when using assistance. Remember when he said no steak on food stamps?
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)
(I'm sorry but I just had all kinds of visualizations of that in my mind

LisaM
(29,165 posts)That was before pot was legal in Washington.
But seriously, it was just a bunch of bitter, inedible, spiky weeds stuffed into a plastic bag. No one ever wanted them.
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)of bolted parsley or dill, some thyme, and if you're lucky, some rosemary.
LisaM
(29,165 posts)These were supposedly salad greens.
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)All the things that look like dandelion leaves (hopefully Arugula but you never know) and watercress and whatnot.
Ocelot II
(124,617 posts)and it just didn't work for me. You get what's on offer depending on the harvest, and along with the good stuff (corn, green beans, tomatoes) there was always an assortment of weird root vegetables that needed a lot of preparation to make even passably edible. It's great if you have a family of vegetarians who enjoy cooking, but I always ended up with too much stuff that I couldn't or didn't want to eat. I can't imagine an elderly person who can't cook trying to deal with a box of rutabagas and beets.
LisaM
(29,165 posts)I forgot about all the root vegetables, beets and turnips. It sounded so good up front, but I just couldn't use it all, and there were some things I just don't want to deal with, like those starchy purple potatoes.
Some of the things that were difficult for two people in the city to use might have worked out fine for restaurants or families or people with access to a lot of storage, but that's not the reality for most seniors.
riversedge
(75,369 posts)BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)Ain't nuffin' wrong with Spam!!
Now "Smeat" is another thing altogether!
Retrograde
(11,083 posts)My sister belonged to a CSA for a while. One week, the delivery was five heads of cabbage. Now, I like cabbage and probably eat more than most Americans, but even my household couldn't get through 5 heads before the next shipment arrived.
LisaM
(29,165 posts)It keeps well, but we have been working on the same head of purple cabbage for a month! (There are two of us).
JHB
(37,664 posts)Everything will be just big, beautiful awesome, you just have to wait longer the media's attention span. Then it's back to "concepts of a plan."
If it's not simply "I never said that."
Biophilic
(5,581 posts)Rutabagas for the next 5 months? These people just send out dumb ideas because they can. Their base believe their fairy tales and the rest of us cant do anything about them.
BootinUp
(49,752 posts)This is propaganda, not news.
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)it would have been best to know about it in advance.
NoMoreRepugs
(11,286 posts)Lonestarblue
(12,595 posts)Rather than convoluted programs to determine who gets food and who doesnt, how about simply providing a minimum basic income for poor people? No bureaucracy, no partisan hands in the pot delivering substandard food (remember the days of oink slime in schools), and food choices being made by the people eating the food, who may have special dietary needs.
Im so fed up with everything this administration is doing. I dont know how we as a country survive another 3+ years.
Alice Kramden
(2,590 posts)Sincerely they want the older generation dead, sooner rather than later
marble falls
(65,174 posts)dreamland
(1,104 posts)I remember the government cheese we used to get. My mom would give away the cheese and just kept the milk. She didn't know how to use the cheese. There was no pasta or rice given just cheese and milk. Once a week, they dispersed a free breakfast which I can't remember eating but did remember waiting in line for it. Most of the time, we just never got anything unless we were there early. If we were to rely on that as our food source, we'd starve.
Shipwack
(2,650 posts)It was a big huge block. We had mac&cheese and grilled cheese. It was ok, if I remember correctly.
I have to ask my mother if we managed to use the entire thing before it got too moldy
🤔
dreamland
(1,104 posts)If we did finish that block? Thanks for sharing.
Shipwack
(2,650 posts)Old Crank
(5,650 posts)No one in this administration wants to get down and dirty to do the hard work. Pronouncements are easy. Actual results are hard. Notice how Trump bails from anything that is hard.
Paladin
(30,312 posts)Yeah, sure...
JohnnyRingo
(19,908 posts)Meanwhile seniors will be getting their daily delivery of a can of Spam, three zucchinis, and past date tomato.
Beggars can't be choosers according to Trump.
LiberalArkie
(18,118 posts)Buddyzbuddy
(794 posts)gab13by13
(27,983 posts)just curious what his position is on GMO food? Is he OK with food that was sprayed with RoundUp?
pazzyanne
(6,672 posts)Ocelot II
(124,617 posts)some wilted lettuce, a few cobs of field corn and a squashed raccoon?
pazzyanne
(6,672 posts)
RobinA
(10,317 posts)Protein, greens, starchy corn!
Swede
(36,152 posts)This will kill people.
Hope22
(3,942 posts)Than the recipient or caregiver being able to go to the store and choosing appropriate foods that the person could eat or prepare. Not Everyone can store the food or stand and prepare it. Im not the first person to unplug the stove so grandma didnt burn the condo down. Let people buy the foods they choose. The ones they can eat. The ones that will make complete meals. So surprised that he isnt suggesting a McDonalds gift card!
niyad
(123,593 posts)that brainworm and shitler choose" my next thought was, "our growing season is barely four months long, and sometimes even less".
gab13by13
(27,983 posts)on the road to making people eat solyent green?
maveric
(16,851 posts)😝
riversedge
(75,369 posts)It is a very good plan--fresh vegs and fruit to those in need.
But really not a good idea if food is wasted sitting on the front steps. And who is paying for all of this?? Congress may give out a few pennies--but poor communities will not be able to pick up the tab.
.....noting the logistical complexity of getting perishable food from farmers directly to older Americans. Another question is whether the foods included in the food boxes would meet the needs of seniors who often need shelf-stable foods because many struggle to get to the store, Matysik said.
Brainfodder
(7,243 posts)Next up lists of vitamins and meds not to take and people not to talk to?
Ferrets are Cool
(22,164 posts)
Martin68
(25,703 posts)Walleye
(40,001 posts)twodogsbarking
(13,565 posts)Prairie Gates
(5,000 posts)MAHA Food Boxes sounds like pre-concept of a plan stage.
Which is to say, they should be rolling out in two weeks.
TWO WEEKS.
Anyway, how long does it take a vulnerable senior to starve?
AllaN01Bear
(25,019 posts)
FSogol
(47,337 posts)a Chinese-made MAGA hat
expired can of corned beef hash
ad for Trumpy meme-coin
Bag of dried egg noodles, only half pre-pulverized
Enriched whole wheat / Quinoa Fusilli
generic corn flakes, box recovered from flood zone
letter from Marco Rubio calling you a parasite
half a bunch, black bananas with flies
14 ketchup packets
greatauntoftriplets
(177,586 posts)hatrack
(62,369 posts)They have no idea - NONE - about what this would involve.
dweller
(26,519 posts)of cat food ??
😕
✌🏻
MissMillie
(39,209 posts)A food box program that was cancelled due to mismanagement.
Are we in for a repeat?
And what's so horrible about letting the seniors make their own food choices?
Sailingdiver
(234 posts)But the orange smegma and his gang of synchopantic simps could never successfully implement such a program.
Granny Blue
(67 posts)but can no longer cut a carrot, open a can of beans or take a pan from the oven safely. If someone left a box of veggies on my doorstep, Id have to wait for Mr. Blue to bring it in and cook it. And as a former farmer and dairyman, he has always refused to participate in CSAs or farmers markets. I dont trust em he said. I guess he saw all the tricks. Im lucky to have him, but I guess if he goes to the Great Beyond, Ill just have to make sure I go with him. There won't be a life worth the trouble in this country.
Nigrum Cattus
(502 posts)They hate that anyone could have a choice.
Many older people don't have the energy to cook.
Also, you know the providers would have to pay the repugs off to participate.
They all have shit for brains.
get the red out
(13,732 posts)A large portion of the country gets too cold in the winter to grow food all year round? Are they going to give seniors canners to go with the fresh veggies?
NickB79
(19,901 posts)The departments $660 million Local Food For Schools program, which was started under President Joe Biden in 2021, was canceled for 2025, according to the School Nutrition Association, which criticized the cuts.
The USDA did not respond to a request for comment. An agency spokesperson told Politico that the programs no longer effectuate the goals of the agency.
BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)The craven "slash and burn" through the entire federal government and now coming back around to try to piece it back together "their way", has been the poster child of someone who engages in "waste, fraud, and abuse".
Javaman
(63,762 posts)Linda ladeewolf
(877 posts)Sure to be contaminated with bird flu, and produce contaminated with ecoli and salmonella. Trying to get rid of us old farts.
Blue Dotty
(119 posts)BumRushDaShow
(152,004 posts)
videohead5
(2,618 posts)There are millions of seniors that get food help. The government is going to have to pay thousands of people to deliver these boxes. This won't save anything it will probably end up costing more.
Deep State Witch
(11,778 posts)Only this time it will be vegan cheese and (ick) margarine.
Look - many elderly people who would qualify for that don't have the means to store or cook fresh fruits and vegetables. If you want to help these people, just expand it to food banks. Besides, Donnie and Eloon aren't going to want to give the poors ANYTHING, let alone fresh produce. They want the poors to die.
Escape
(194 posts)Billions of dollars worth of food for old people with a hefty Trump profit on each morsel.
Canada Kid
(128 posts)The Orange Idiot thinks that our senior population can survive on McDonald's hamburgers and fries. I think he likes this restaurant because he can actually read and recognize his name on the sign in the parking lot. Mr. President...take your Happy Meal and stuff it where the sun don't shine! Folks require real food to survive, and at the expensive level of real healthy food it is nearly impossible to afford it. Get that through your stupid head! Stop butchering critical departments that support the well being of the population!
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(122,600 posts)PufPuf23
(9,384 posts)The $360,000 that was paid to local farmers that provide fresh produce.
Trump has already cut local Federal funding for the fresh component of the food assistance so what RFK Jn says is bullshit.
Harms the local farmers.
Several local people made large cash donations to keep the program active.
The amount and quality of the monthly food assistance has declined already. Have been using the program myself since 2024 and this was first time without nuts or dried fruit. In April, almonds and raisins only. Prior to April received almonds, raisins (multiple bags), pecans (or some other nuts) and dried cherries or dates. Have been making 8 or more pint jars of trail mix each month. Today received none of the ingredients.
Can't readily find but article is somewhere at this link probably in March or early April.
https://kymkemp.com/