Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program

The Food Stamp Program is a cornerstone of the U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition assistance program. The purpose of the Food Stamp Program is to end hunger and improve the nutrition and health of low-income households. The Food Stamp Program is run at the state level, but is overseen by the federal government with current presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Qualifying for the Food Stamp Program requires the household to meet certain eligibility standards that mainly center on income, looking for work, and citizenship status.

The Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program was created by the Food Stamp Program to provide education to assist households in making healthy food choices on a limited budget. The recommendations and educational initiative are based on the most recent dietary advice provided by the Dietary Guidelines of Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid. Some of the more specific goals of the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program are to improve the self-sufficiency of Food Stamp recipients, increase skills in food budgeting and meal planning, increase knowledge of proper food choices, increase physical activity, and promote a healthy lifestyle. State governments who choose to participate in the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program can be reimbursed up to one-half of the costs of the initiative by the United States Department of Agriculture. Currently, there are over 19 million people in the United States on the Food Stamp Program; more than half are children. The Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program will [Page 301]assist these individuals in making the right choices, within a limited budget, about food and health as they transition from welfare to work.