Published: January 2013

ID #: 68813

Journal: J Acad Nutr Diet

Authors: Leung CW, Hoffnagle EE, Lindsay AC, et al

See more related research

Share


This study engaged experts from diverse sectors to explore their opinions concerning the existing challenges to eating nutritiously in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program and propose strategies for improving the diets and health of SNAP recipients. The high cost of nutrient-rich foods, inadequate SNAP benefits amounts, and environmental factors associated with poverty were identified by respondents as challenges to improving the nutritional status of SNAP participants. Six themes emerged among respondents about how to address these challenges: providing SNAP participants with incentives to purchase nutrient-rich foods; restricting the purchase of nutrient-poor foods and beverages with program benefits, modifying the frequency of SNAP benefits distribution; enhancing nutrition education; improving the SNAP retailer environment; and increasing state- and federal-level coordination and consistency of program implementation.

Related Research

April 2011

Exploring Ways to Strengthen the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to Improve Nutrition for Low-Income Children

The objective of this research is to conduct a comprehensive survey of stakeholder groups to identify barriers and opportunities for improving nutrition in the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The survey will be designed with input from key informant interviews and distributed to over 500 key stakeholders involved with SNAP and other food assistance More

November 2025

The implications of banning synthetic food dyes on the food purchase quality of families with children

This study examines how removing synthetic dyes from the food supply impacts the nutritional quality of grocery purchases among families with children, focusing on the 7 dyes targeted by FDA for phase-out by the end of 2026 (some of which are required (i.e., red dye #3), while the removal of others are voluntary). Aim 1 More

November 2025

Measuring the impact of charitable food program cuts on the nutritional quality of foods

This study examines how sudden cuts to USDA programs supporting the charitable food system (i.e., The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA)) affect the supply of healthy food available for distribution by food banks. Existing data from 15 food banks will be analyzed, and additional data will More