‘Harvest Box’ is harmful
SNAP benefits, ability to choose food vital to low-income communities
There are over 40 million people who receive SNAP. Not only does SNAP help families put food on the table, it also provides economic benefits. According to the
The proposal to replace SNAP with “America’s harvest box,” a box of “shelf-stable” canned and boxed goods, for those households receiving over $90 per month, is perplexing and concerning to say the least. Taking away one’s power to choose one product over another, for instance, disrupts a person’s powerful connection with food, it disrupts a family's ability to make their favorite dish for Sunday night dinner or to try a new vegetable. Sending a box of canned foods does not allow a person the choice between fresh, frozen or canned produce. Additionally, canned foods are often high in sodium, which may also pose difficulty for people who need to follow a low-sodium diet.
SNAP is not perfect, but combined with the nutritional education on how to eat healthy on a budget, I believe SNAP can be used effectively to help sustain nutritional status and improve overall health. Nutrition education is essential in improving the health of low-income communities, which is where SNAP education — or “SNAP-ed,” the nutrition education component of SNAP — comes into play. SNAP-ed can help SNAP recipients make healthier decisions with these funds, make the most of each dollar and understand importance of eating a well-balanced diet. In Maryland, for example, the
Another key nutrition education program under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Child Nutrition Program, is proposed to receive a $1.1 billion reduction in funds. Having previously worked as a nutrition educator on the USDA Summer Food Service Program in Philadelphia, which helps low-income children receive meals during the summer months, I know firsthand the positive impact that these programs can have on hundreds of families.
Without these programs to educate on the importance of choosing nutrient-dense foods and healthy eating on a budget, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins are typically not at the top of the grocery list. People often turn to the processed snacks high in sodium and added sugar. This in turn is contributing to the alarming prevalence of obesity, diabetes and heart disease in communities. I believe reductions in the SNAP budget and elimination of SNAP-ed will worsen this epidemic and increase food insecurity, hunger and poverty. In the health care setting, we will see more patients come into clinics and hospital emergency rooms with worsening, uncontrolled diet-related diseases.
SNAP benefits and nutrition education programs, including but not limited to SNAP-ed and the Child Nutrition Program, are vital to help improve the health of low-income neighborhoods throughout America. We need these programs to continue receiving adequate funding; the public health of lower-income communities is at stake.