The food stamp program was originally meant to help low-income families buy enough food to eat. But through time, its goals evolved. Rather than just focusing on assisting low-income families buy sufficient quantities of food to avoid hunger, the program now stresses the importance of healthy food decisions. This is a main reason why the food stamp program is now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has currently limited food choices to the following:
- Breads
- Cereals
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Meat / Fish
- Poultry
- Dairy products
- Plants and seeds that produce food
Alcoholic beverages and “hot meals” cannot be purchased using the SNAP electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards. These limitations are meant to help SNAP beneficiaries make healthy food decisions.
FNS SNAP will continue to modify its policies to improve consumer nutrition education and help low-income families buy nutritious food.
But these policies are just guidelines. Healthy food decisions will still depend on SNAP beneficiaries who must be disciplined enough to embrace a more nutritious diet.
