Food News

The federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have been working to improve food security for Americans in need. The new research suggests that pairing education with financial assistance can go a long way to improve diet quality as well.
The study published in the Journal of Agricultural Economics made use of representative data on household food purchases to study the effects of SNAP participation on diet quality.

The findings of the research revealed that SNAP participation did not have any effect on the household’s diet quality. Participation in SNAP was linked to a 17% reduction in diet quality among households that initially had low-to-intermediate diet quality scores before receiving SNAP benefits.

These findings can help in identifying the households benefiting the most from educational programs to help the participants make healthier food choices.

Assistant Professor Linlin Fan said, “Policymakers have become motivated in recent years to improve the quality of diets among SNAP participants, given the increasing prevalence of diet-related chronic disease, obesity, and diabetes. We found that the negative effects of SNAP on diet quality for some but not all participants were primarily driven by a higher acquisition of empty calories, suggesting opportunities for education about making healthful nutritional choices.”

The food stamp program was renamed SNAP in 2008 indicating the expansion of the program’s goals to include improving diet quality along to reduce food insecurity.

During a one-week survey, data from 4,826 households were collected, encompassing details on prices, quantities, and nutrient characteristics of food items. The survey also gathered information on household participation in various nutrition assistance programs, including SNAP, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, the School Breakfast Program, and the National School Lunch Program.

The survey only provided information about the food purchases and not about the actual intake but the data reflected the healthfulness of each household’s food choices which was a good indicator of overall diet quality.