Content creator makes meals with dollar store food to raise awareness about food insecurity
Oct 10, 2023, 9:24 AM
SALT LAKE CITY — Dollar stores may not be the first option that comes to mind for grocery shopping, but for millions of Americans living in food deserts, there aren’t many other options.
One content creator is helping people make the best meal they can with what they have on hand.
Rebecca Chobat uses her platform to raise awareness about the challenges many Americans face.
“There a lot of people who live in their cars or live in vans, they don’t have a fridge, they don’t have a stove. So, what food options are available for them?”
Under her Dollar Tree Dinners Tiktok account, Chobat makes recipes using dollar store ingredients and whips up $2 meals, that’s cheaper than many fast food combo meals.
@dollartreedinners 3 Dinners for 1 for $5 ($1.67 per meal) #extremebudgetmeals #strugglemeals #extremelycheapmeals #microwavefriendly #dollartreedinners #dollartreefood #cookingforone ♬ original sound – Dollar Tree Dinners
Dollar stores themselves are blamed for contributing to what the U.S. Department of Agriculture calls food deserts, areas where there are foods available, but the options are low in nutritional value, aka junk food.
Chobat said she hopes people won’t be so quick to judge people who are struggling with food insecurity.
“These are people who are just trying to make it day by day. They’re just trying to feed themselves and they’re just trying to feed their family today.”
As for its role, Dollar Tree says it is working to make more options available. In a statement, the company said in part: “Our main priority is serving the needs of our customers. we continue to offer packaged foods and a growing selection of frozen items that we are constantly evaluating.”
