What’s Going On With SNAP?

Meal kit services seem to be all the rage these days. The number of companies that have popped up in recent years offering fresh ingredients or pre-prepared meals delivered directly to your door is endless.

Another new meal delivery service could be on the horizon, specifically for those who are part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

SNAP was created to provide nutrition assistance to millions of low-income individuals and families. Basically, the program helps eligible individuals get food they might not otherwise be able to afford.

The Trump administration has proposed replacing a portion of this program with boxed meals that would be delivered directly to members’ front doors. Rather than receiving money or stamps to purchase food for themselves, members who are eligible for $90 or more in stamps would have food preselected and delivered to them in a premade meal kit.

The program has been labeled “America’s Harvest Program” and The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that this change could save $129 billion over the next ten years. While that is a huge number, the proposal has brought about mixed opinions.

The plan would give individuals much less say in which foods they eat, instead leaving this choice up to the government. The president of the National WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Association, a public health nutrition program, argues that removing the element of choice from the SNAP program contradicts the idea of encouraging personal responsibility.

There’s also concern around the logistics of the program and the stigma that could surround individuals who may have to travel to a pick-up location to get their delivery. Then there is uncertainty about whether recipients will have the equipment or the know-how to prepare the meals.

But others are excited about the program, as it allows for wholesale purchasing and could also ensure that recipients are getting nutritious food.

There seems to be a lot that needs to be addressed before this program can or will be implemented, but what do you think?