"For parents raising their kids in poverty, having to say "no" was a part of daily life. Their financial circumstances forced them to deny their children's requests — for a new pair of Nikes, say, or a trip to Disneyland — all the time. This wasn't tough for the kids alone; it also left the poor parents feeling guilty and inadequate.
Next to all the things poor parents truly couldn't afford, junk food was something they could often say "yes" to. Poor parents told me they could almost always scrounge up a dollar to buy their kids a can of soda or a bag of chips. So when poor parents could afford to oblige such requests, they did.
Honoring requests for junk food allowed poor parents to show their children that they loved them, heard them and could meet their needs. As one low-income single mother told me: "They want it, they'll get it. One day they'll know. They'll know I love them, and that's all that matters.""
Obviously food deserts and stuff are still a thing. This article is weirdly over-simplifying about the problem of adequate nutrition. But I found it to be a compelling perspective.
Related: santa claus when you're poor
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