Snap Benefits Fail To Fund Healthy Diets For Many Americans, Study Shows

Researchers utilizing nan U.S. government’s ain costs exemplary recovered that while nan Harvard fare is affordable nether SNAP, nan Mediterranean and DASH diets stay retired of scope for many, exposing really use limits restrict entree to proven, disease-preventive nutrition.

Study: An Analysis of nan Affordability of Harvard, Mediterranean and DASH Eating Patterns for Individuals Enrolled successful nan Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Image Credit: Lightspring / Shutterstock

In a caller study published successful nan journal Nutrients, researchers investigated whether nan United States' Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are capable to screen 3 recognized patient eating patterns. The study leveraged nan U.S. government’s cost-analysis framework, uncovering that nan Mediterranean (MED) and DASH diets, some proven to trim chronic disease, are unaffordable for individuals pinch higher caloric needs, creating a documented “poverty tax” connected health.

Understanding nan SNAP Program and Its Limitations

The SNAP provides monthly costs to thief low-income households, which relationship for complete 12% of Americans, acquisition food. SNAP benefits are based connected nan Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), a market-basket exemplary designed to correspond a nutritionally balanced, low-cost diet.

Criticism of nan Thrifty Food Plan Model

Despite its purpose, nan TFP has agelong faced disapproval for prioritizing cost-cutting complete realistic nutrition and equity. Critics reason it assumes recipients person capable clip to navigator from scratch and entree to affordable, patient ingredients, conditions that are seldom met.

Comparison of MyPlate, MED, and DASH Diet Guidelines

Although nan TFP follows nan government’s “MyPlate” nutrition guide, replacement eating patterns specified arsenic nan Mediterranean (MED) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diets besides comply pinch national dietary guidelines. These diets are wide recognized for their expertise to trim chronic illness and beforehand cardiovascular health. Yet, a important mobility remains: Can SNAP participants really spend these healthier diets wrong their benefits?

Study Methodology: Economic Modeling Using nan TFP Framework

To reply this, researchers utilized nan 2021 U.S. authorities TFP mathematical model arsenic an economical exemplary to measure whether SNAP benefits screen nan costs of nan Harvard Healthy Eating Pattern (HHEP), MED, and DASH diets. The exemplary calculated fare plans for 15 predefined property and activity groups (e.g., “Female 20–50,” “Male 14–19”), ensuring that each met nutritional standards and nutrient group proportions while reflecting emblematic American eating habits.

Adapting nan Model for Healthier Diets

The researchers replaced modular TFP constraints pinch those of nan HHEP, MED, and DASH diets, each emphasizing little intake of refined grains, reddish meat, and sodium, and higher depletion of fish, nuts, and full grains. While nan TFP exemplary simplifies nutrient categories (e.g., grouping beverage and yogurt together), nan study adjusted for nutritional feasibility and calculated nan regular costs of each fare compared to SNAP’s maximum use level.

Key Findings: MED and DASH Diets Exceed SNAP Benefits

All diets were nutritionally achievable, but costs varied substantially. The Harvard Healthy Eating Pattern (HHEP) matched nan TFP’s costs crossed each 15 demographic groups, making it affordable nether SNAP. However, nan MED and DASH diets were not. For beneficiaries requiring much than 2,100 calories daily, some diets exceeded SNAP’s maximum allowance.

For example, nan MED fare exceeded SNAP benefits successful 4 of 15 groups by an mean of $1.63 per day. The DASH fare surpassed nan limit successful 6 of 10 modeled property groups (ages 14 and above), costing connected mean $2.37 much per day. For males aged 20–50 (a 3,000-calorie group), nan SNAP use was $8.54 per day, but the DASH fare costs $13.60, which is complete 50% higher. This disparity reflects existing socioeconomic patterns, wherever wealthier individuals are much apt to travel nan MED diet.

Policy Implications: Addressing nan “Poverty Tax” connected Nutrition

The study concludes that SNAP benefits, based connected 2021 national data, are insufficient for galore recipients to adopt nan MED aliases DASH diets. This shortfall efficaciously creates a “poverty tax” that prevents low-income individuals from accessing diets linked to longer life expectancy and little illness risk. As national fund projections propose $187 cardinal successful SNAP cuts done 2034, this inequality whitethorn deepen unless policymakers revise use calculations to bespeak existent nutrient costs and caloric needs.