You're viewing things in black and white terms. Food deserts are a problem, but they aren't the totality of the problem.

Lots of junk food is sold in places with ample access to food. Advertising is part of it.

Food deserts aren't nearly the problem one might naively think. Making high-quality, healthy, affordable, nutritious produce available to the households that need it the most does not tend to result in dietary shifts. Often what's lacking is the cultural knowledge, culinary experience, time, or physical infrastructure to cook the quality, affordable, nutritious food every human being should have.

What's available is an important factor in what people choose, but ultimately people have to make a choice between good and bad food. Little kids are especially vulnerable to fast food ads and people develop their eating habits when they are young.

> The problem is the lack of access to quality, affordable, nutritious food

not buying this - lentils are a nearly complete protein, don't really expire, certainly aren't expensive, and i don't think could be viewed as anything but healthy

That is a very real problem. It's commonly referred to as a food desert

https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/enter...

http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defi...

You're also assuming that people know how to make tasty meals out of lentils, or have the energy to do so. The idea of quality food encompasses not looking and tasting like grue.

i'm just responding to a strong and overly simplified claim, quoted above.

that people don't have cooking skill or patience indicates other problems other than access to food - i happen to agree - so i think it's fair to say the claim should include other things like: commuting etc. leads to low energy/motivation to cook leads to choosing unhealthier foods; lack of community structure means there aren't as many people to cook for so less efficient, etc.

again, OPs claim is that food access is "the problem"; i just think it should include other things, such as what you said.

You’re assuming that everyone has access to lentils, which is an incorrect assumption.

Many live several miles away from stores that sell produce and dry grains/legumes and aren’t able to purchase this kind of food on a regular basis, opting instead for canned goods or fast food.

I find that this is a common issue on the site when discussing problems. There are a bunch of people in this thread making claims that people do have access to healthy foods, or its their choice for eating unhealthy, when many of the people on this site have likely never been in a position where they could not access healthy foods, or were not even taught about proper nutrition. I find similar issues in other threads, such as the Airbnb thread where people are saying that there is no problem with Airbnb from the perspective of well off business travelers, with no consideration for locals. Time and time again people weigh in on arguments from a sheltered/privileged point of view with no consideration for people that may not have the money, time, knowledge, etc. to take for granted what we all do. I generally like ycombinator, but sometimes the echo chamber of primarily old, upper class male engineers is quite taxing

1. How many people know that about lentils?

2. Can you buy lentils at the convenience stores most accessible to people in "food deserts"?

Lentils aren't magic, there's plenty of foods like this -- pasta, rice and beans, oatmeal. Most of them are sold at convenience stores in urban areas.