Health At Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight

by Linda Bacon

barely any subsidies are earmarked for fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, making them relatively expensive in comparison. To make matters worse, the federal government purchases surplus foods that result from these subsidies (like cheese, milk, pork, and beef) for distribution to food assistance programs, including the National School Lunch Program, while veggies and fruits are much more expensive for the schools to acquire. The end result is that low-nutrition surpluses end up on the plates of kids and low income people (who are often feeding families).