More than 40 million people--half of whom are children--turn to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) each month to help put food on the table. Yet 9 out of 10 participants still face barriers to healthy eating.

SNAP is well positioned to increase participants' healthy food purchasing power and improve the food environment to make it easier to attain a nutritious diet.

What's at stake

Everyone deserves access to delicious, affordable, nutritious food.

Yet we have a food system designed to push profits at the expense of our health. And there are widespread disparities in access to nutritious foods, stemming from generations of discriminatory policies and compounded by targeted food industry marketing.

These forces contribute to a serious problem: poor diet quality is a leading contributor to death and disability in the United States. People with low-incomes and BIPOC are more likely to experience preventable, diet-related diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and some cancers.

SNAP

How it works

SNAP is the nation's largest federally funded nutrition assistance program and first line of defense against food and nutrition insecurity. The program provides benefits via an electronic benefit card (EBT), which participants can use to buy groceries nationwide.

SNAP should be accessible for all people in need, provide adequate benefits, and encourage nutritious foods. Participating grocery stores should stock and promote healthy options.

Learn more: our SNAP priorities

Healthy SNAP strategies

How CSPI and others are building a stronger, healthier SNAP program

What participants are saying

Black family shopping for groceries with masks on

On adequacy of SNAP benefits

"The cost of eating healthy is ten times more than what SNAP benefits can cover." - A SNAP participant in North Carolina

Asian father and son grocery shopping in fruit section

On SNAP incentives

"[Fruit and vegetable incentives] would benefit me a lot because no matter how much I try and make it stretch, it doesn't ever seem to stretch." - A SNAP participant in Iowa

A father and daughter shop for produce

On testing a opt-in model that does not include SSBs in SNAP

"It would help to keep me more health conscious because that way my kids and husband won’t buy sodas anymore.” - A SNAP participant in North Carolina

Our team

Joelle Johnson

Joelle Johnson, MPH

Campaign Manager, Healthy Food Access

jjohnson@cspinet.org

Joelle Johnson (she/her/hers) leads CSPI's Healthy Food Access Team and advocates for policies that strengthen U.S. food safety net programs in order to help lift people out of poverty and provide equitable access to a food environment that empowers individuals to build healthy eating patterns that meet their needs.
Maya Sandalow

Maya Sandalow, MPH

Senior Policy Associate

msandalow@cspinet.org

Maya Sandalow (she/her) works on healthy food access policies related to SNAP, GusNIP, and the food retail environment.
Cassie Harrison-Ramos head shot

Cassie Harrison-Ramos, PhD

Policy Associate

cramos@cspinet.org

Cassie Harrison-Ramos (she/her/hers) work focuses on SNAP policy and healthy food access for families with low incomes. She works with partners and community-based groups to engage with SNAP participants about strategies for maximizing nutrition security.

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Resources

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