Yes, it’s possible to eat nutritious meals on a SNAP budget.
But creating meals for less than $5 a day isn’t easy, or even realistic for everyone.
We all eat differently.
Photo: Getty Images / Graphics by Tyrel Stendahl
First, the obvious: Everyone has unique preferences and norms when it comes to food!
We all eat differently; individuals even eat very differently from day to day.
It’s just an example of what three meals might be on a budget of just $4.17.
SNAP recipients have varying food budgets.
Second, SNAP benefits don’t necessarily make up a recipient’s entire food budget.
TheUSDA saysthat “SNAP households are expected to spend about 30 percent of their own resources on food.”
It’s not just about buying food.
Third, food access isn’t just about being able to afford food.
And, meal prepping on weekends is difficult for shift workers who might work on weekends.
Nutrition isn’t necessarily a priority.
Finally, for many SNAP recipients, prioritizing nutrition just isn’t realistic.
This too varies from person to person.
That’s based on a maximum monthly benefit of $680 for a family of four.
She says that purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables is sometimes too expensive for those on a SNAP budget.
This recipe makes use of raisins, which are shelf stable and inexpensive.
For comparison, fresh blueberries cost about $1.05 per half-cup serving.
We also added a banana, one of the least expensive fresh fruit options available.
Burritos are kid-friendly, plus they can be made ahead of time and frozen.
Bagged frozen vegetables come pre-cut, which cuts back on prep and cleanup time.
That can be extremely valuable for busy families.
We added a fresh yellow onion for some flavor, which adds 35 cents.
For an at-home snack, we went with ants on a log, which repurpose two ingredients from breakfast.
This helps keep costs down, but Bartosiewicz says that it can get old too.
While people might not eat dessert every day, many eat it regularly.
It includes what we think is a realistic number of meals and snacks, and it’s relatively varied.
All that said, there are plenty of things missing here.
(SNAP benefits can’t be used for alcohol.)
It also relies heavily on frozen foods and bulk items.
That’s not unique to SNAP recipientsonly 1 in 10Americans actually gets five-a-day.
Plus, all of the meals listed are cooked from scratch.
All are relatively simple, but they still take time to put together.
Yes, it’s possible to feed a family with just $680 a month.
