The Effect of SNAP on the Composition of Purchased Foods: Evidence and Implications

Justine Hastings, Ryan Kessler and Jesse Shapiro

American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 277-315

Abstract: We use detailed data from a large retail panel to study the effect of participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on the composition and nutrient content of foods purchased for at-home consumption. We find that the effect of SNAP participation is small relative to the cross-sectional variation in most of the outcomes we consider. Estimates from a model relating the composition of a household's food purchases to the household's current level of food spending imply that closing the gap in food spending between high- and low-SES households would not close the gap in summary measures of food healthfulness.

JEL-codes: D12 H75 I12 I18 L66 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Working Paper: The Effect of SNAP on the Composition of Purchased Foods: Evidence and Implications (2019)
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DOI: 10.1257/pol.20190350

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