Food Stamp Benefits don’t quite make the cut for a balanced diet

A new assessment of the maximum food stamp benefit, conducted by Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP) at Boston Medical Center, reveals an average annual gap between benefit payments and food costs of around $3,000 for the low-income family of four trying to purchase enough food with adequate nutrition. Families receiving food stamps typically try to make ends meet by stretching food dollars on calorie-dense, processed convenience foods, but the challenge is to a accommodate the purchase of more costly whole foods, such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. The USDA’s “Thrifty Food Plan,” the “national standard for a nutritious diet at minimal cost” and the determinant of maximum benefit levels proves inadequate, especially in the face of escalating food and fuel costs. Full Story: C-SNAP