Benefits Of The SNAP Program And Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program

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The SNAP program or Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program is a federal program founded and designed by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and other state agencies to provide with nutritious and healthy meals to those in need or at a poverty level. SNAP is also designed to alleviate hunger in the United States.(usda.gov) This program was known as Food Stamps, but was recently changed to SNAP. This is one of the largest nutrition assistance programs in the US. The program has a standard budget of $133.50 a month per individual to provide optimal nutrition for those at or below poverty level. There are requirements for the eligibility for the program, but the main requirement is the income of the household. The monthly income has to be at or below 130 percent of poverty level for a three-person family. Budget can vary according to the circumstances and necessities of the individual being benefited. The maximum benefits are …show more content…

This challenge consists in behavior change, starting with creating a plan based on the needs of the individual. Then, planning a variety of meals within the budget. And finally, the best prices to meet the recommended nutrient intake. One of the thing that I learned when working on this assignment was to buy the right items. When we go grocery shopping, we usually buy the most economical foods at the moment, not looking at the quantities. In the long run, we spend more money doing this, because we are buying foods only by looking at the price. For example, I used to buy canned beans because they were cheaper and more convenient than dry beans. When I went grocery shopping with my 22.50 budget, I realized that dry beans were better a better option than canned beans. Some of the good things about buying dry beans are that the ounce is cheaper than canned beans, and they do not contain preservatives. When one ounce of canned beans was 10 cents, the ounce of dry beans was 6 cents. (Brown,

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