SNAP Benefits Produce Cost Savings When Aligned with Nutrition Guidelines

Nutrition researchers call for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to align the recommendations for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) with healthful nutrition guidelines in order to maximize savings, health benefits, and food security. The report, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, provides a history of the program to show where it is now with recommendations to improve both cost-effectiveness and nutrition. The authors suggest the USDA fund state-level analyses to assess how best to align with the current guidelines in order to introduce more nutrient-dense, plant-based foods. These improvements could save up to $26 billion dollars a year.