The ‘N' in SNAP Means Nutrition
SNAP, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, is one of the nation's largest welfare programs.
And, like all welfare programs, it is massive, it has grown prodigiously over the years and it is inefficient.
One glaring issue, which is gaining attention as a result of new Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again campaign, is the kinds of foods that recipients of SNAP funds can purchase.
And here we have convergence of bodily health and fiscal health.
The 'N' in SNAP stands for nutrition. The point of the whole program is to help poor Americans eat and not forgo nutrition as result of insufficient funds to buy food. So why should government funds be used to purchase foods that are not fundamental to meeting the requirements of basic nutrition?
Related Stories
5/13/2025
5/5/2025
The program is funded by the federal government but administered by the states.
Now three Republican governors—governors of Arkansas, Idaho and Indiana—are joining the governor of West Virginia in seeking waivers from the federal government to permit them to remove soda, candy, and other sweets from the foods that can be purchased with SNAP funds.
SNAP funds flow from the Department of Agriculture, and new Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins showed her support for this move by appearing alongside of Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders when she announced that her state would seek a waiver to eliminate soda and candy.
According to the Foundation for Government Accountability, 'Soda is the number one commodity purchased with food stamps. More food stamp money is spent on soda, candy, snacks, ice cream, and cakes than on fruit, vegetables, eggs, pasta, beans, and rice. Purchases of sweetened beverages, desserts, salty snacks, and candy exceed the program's combined sales of fruits and vegetables by $9.4 billion a year.'
FGA goes on to point out that the incidence of obesity is higher among food stamp recipients than among those not on food stamps at similar income levels and that food stamp participants are 'more likely to be at very high or extremely high risk' of the many health problems that result from obesity.
Per the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, in 1975, federal funding to the SNAP program was $4.6 billion. By 2000, it was $14.6 billion. In 2023, it was up to $111.2 billion.
Per Pew Research, in 1974, there were 12.9 million Americans receiving SNAP funds. In 2023, it was up to 42.4 million.
Most recipients are adults—63 percent are over the age of 18—and of adults receiving food stamps, 62 percent had not been employed at all during the year, 24 percent were employed over the year and 14 percent were employed part of the year.
Among children receiving food stamp payments, 56 percent were in homes with one or no parent.
Much discussion about reform of SNAP involves a more rigorous application of work requirements to receive funding. This points back to importance of health. If SNAP funds permit purchase of foods that are unhealthy, or damage health, so it seems SNAP funds contribute to undermining the ability of recipients to work.
Needless to say, as this initiative gains momentum, as it should, and as more states seek waivers to streamline their SNAP funding to foods that clearly aim to fundamental nutritional needs, the beverage and candy industry can be expected to be all over Congress to block the change.
The Wall Street Journal reported last December about ramped up lobbying by Coke, Pepsi and the American Beverage Association to leave their soft drinks in the purview of SNAP funding.
Some concerns have been expressed by grocers that increased specificity regarding what can be purchased can make administration and monitoring difficult. But surely technology can deal with this.
Removing non-nutritious foods and beverages from SNAP won't balance our federal budget. But it is a no-brainer for our fiscal and physical health.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Family caregivers worry over planned Medicaid cuts' impact
For a decade, Alma Valencia has taken on the task of caring for her mother, Arminda, who suffers from dementia. "I've had to take on that role of being a nurse — a person that does everything for my mom — dressing her, bathing her, feeding her. And it's like having another child but that's an adult, you know?" Valencia said. "It's very, very tough, emotional, very, very draining." Valencia is one of the approximately 63 million people in the U.S. — about a quarter of the entire U.S. population over the age of 18 — who have taken on the role of caring for a loved one who needs additional attention due to issues such as aging, disabilities or illness, according to a new report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving. Most of them do it without getting paid, and 6 in 10 are employed apart from the caregiving work they do at home. 'It's an invisible workforce that strengthens our families and our communities,' the report notes. In the Hispanic community, over one-third of all caregivers and almost half of caregivers are also in households where they're taking care of children under 18. Now there are worries among caregivers like Valencia over how Trump's "big, beautiful bill" that recently passed the Republican-led Congress will cut Medicaid funding and implement tougher Medicaid eligibility requirements. Some caregivers get financial help through programs funded by Medicaid, and some rely on Medicaid for their own medical care. Among the programs at risk due to funding cuts to Medicaid is the Home and Community-Based Health Services (HCBS) program, which in some states offers a stipend to those who care for their loved ones at home to help cover things like medications or day care centers. Valencia says this type of program is a much-needed relief, as she estimates her family already spends about $20,000 a year on out-of-pocket expenses for things like home improvements, such as installing ramps. Half of caregivers have taken a financial hit, according to the report, and almost a quarter exhausted their short-term savings and are taking on debt, according to the report. Among Latinos like Valencia, almost a third (31%) reported being in debt and depleting their short-term savings. Latinos make up about 16% of caregivers in the U.S. Now Valencia, who lives in California, worries the situation could become more severe. Even before any Medicaid cuts go into effect, Valencia said she's seen changes in what's accessible to her. At the day care program where she takes her mom, "they were able to drop off Mom, pick her up. So they were able to support me with transportation. Now I've had to step in, and so that was removed. It's little, little changes like that that I'm seeing," she said. Approximately 8 million family caregivers rely on Medicaid for their own medical care, and 11 million receive HCBS-like stipends through the program, according to Jason Resendez, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Caregiving. 'It is very likely that those pathways will start to diminish because of tough choices that states will have to make in terms of what to fund with less federal Medicaid dollars,' Resendez said at an event presenting the AARP report. 'Historically research has shown that when states have less money and are forced to make decisions Home and Community Benefits are the first optional benefits to get cut.' The planned Medicaid cuts and changes include an increase in the number of minimum hours needed to work in order to receive benefits. Resendez said this will affect caregivers, who often can only work part-time jobs so they can care for their loved ones and won't be able to work additional hours as may be required under new Medicaid rules. The increase in family members acting as unskilled caregivers could become more pronounced in the coming years not only because of budget cuts, but also due to the Trump administration's immigration actions, according to experts. This is because many immigrants work as nurses for the elderly or the disabled. Many immigrants from countries like Venezuela and Haiti who had work permits for jobs, including nursing, have now had their temporary legal status revoked by the Trump administration, who ended programs like TPS and humanitarian parole. If more families lose that formal support, they may have to take on the role of caregivers directly. Valencia lives near the San Diego area, where Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, who voted for the bill, defended the proposed changes to Medicaid spending and eligibility. "Republicans in Congress are saving Medicaid by ending waste, eliminating fraud, and ensuring it will be there for the American people who need it," Jonathan Wilcox, deputy chief of staff and communications director for Issa, said via email to Noticias Telemundo. Ahead of the planned Medicaid and budget cuts, Resendez said public policies must not lose sight of the caregiving population, whether through potential financial assistance, such as tax credits, and more programs that provide medical training and payment to caregivers. Meanwhile, social media has enabled caregivers to share their experiences and knowledge. 'This way, we can see how each other is doing and share resources and valuable information,' said Valencia, who posts her experiences as a caregiver on Instagram under the Caregiver Comadre account. "I really wish in the Latino community that we shared more of what we're experiencing," she said, noting many people tend to be very private. "The more that we share, the more we normalize the experience, and we open up the opportunity of helping each other out."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Do you live in the loneliest state in America?
Loneliness seems to be a pervasive part of life in the United States. In 2023, the surgeon general warned of an epidemic of loneliness. And the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that 40.6% of Americans say they sometimes, usually or always feel lonely. Increasing rates of social isolation have likely played a role. In states like Oregon and Alaska, where fewer people report regularly hanging out with friends and talking on the phone, loneliness is especially prevalent. Still, social engagement may not be a cure-all for loneliness. In New York state, more people than anywhere else in the country hang out with and call friends and family at least three times a week, but 44% say they don't consistently receive the emotional support they need — one of the highest rates in the nation. That lack of support, even if you don't spend much time alone, can contribute to lonely feelings. To better understand how social engagement and emotional support shape loneliness, Yahoo News used data from the Census Household Pulse Survey to visualize the loneliest states. Explore the map and table to see the loneliest states and how social connection contributes to differences.
The Onion
2 hours ago
- The Onion
CDC Recommends Eating A Nice Crisp Shiny Apple Instead Of Having Unprotected Sex
ATLANTA—Claiming that the experience could provide as much satisfaction as unsafe sex, a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control this week recommends Americans eat a nice, shiny apple instead of having unprotected intercourse. 'What we are finding is that the risks associated with irresponsible sexual acts far exceed those of chomping on this delicious fruit,' said CDC director Susan Monarez, adding that it took the same amount of effort to chew and savor a ripe Honeycrisp apple as it did to remove a condom and 'raw-dog' a lover to completion. 'When compared to individuals who engage in unprotected sex, those who consume apples have far lower rates of genital warts. While it is true that eating an apple too quickly may result in temporary abdominal pain, the risks associated with gonorrhea are far worse. The message is clear: If you're considering going to a bathhouse to have anonymous sex with multiple partners, make the smart choice and try a Granny Smith instead.' The CDC also announced plans to distribute free apples in high schools around the country using money saved from cutting sex education programs.
