How to Encourage SNAP Participants to Eat Healthier

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Since its inception, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has become the most important anti-hunger program in the United States. The program has helped benefit millions of low-income Latino families out of poverty and support them by providing an “adequate diet.”

Overall, Latinos have a higher poverty rate than the national average. According to a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2016, nearly 1 in 5 Latinos (21% overall) lived below the federal poverty line. This compares to the national average of 1 in 7 people.

Latino households are also more likely to experience food insecurity on a regular basis compared to the national average.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which oversees SNAP benefits, recently announced awards of nearly $17 million to 32 programs and agencies in the U.S. to help strengthen SNAP outreach. US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced grants, which will help expand SNAP’s reach.

“These grants help provide low income families with the resources they need to consume more nutritious food,” Perdue said in a news release. “Last year, SNAP helped put healthy food on the tables of at least 44 million Americans, including 19 million children.”

Some of the groups that received grant funding include the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services in Sacramento, CA, Capacity Builders, Inc., in Farmington, NM, and Presence Health in Chicago, IL.

“[These awards build] on the successes of health-related incentives, with many of the projects being conducted at farmers markets,” Perdue said. “At the same time, we’re also helping to strengthen local and regional food systems.”

The funding will be used to create or sustain programs to encourage SNAP participants to purchase healthier food items.

You can see the full list of grant recipients here.

Read more the link between Latino social support programs here:

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