According to a USDA study published earlier this summer, nearly nine in 10 participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, reported facing barriers to achieving a healthy diet, with the most common barrier being the cost of healthy foods. A USDA evaluation of the 2021 Thrifty Food Plan, which puts healthy food in reach for low-income families, determined benefit levels are too low to provide for a realistic, healthy diet. K-State Research and Extension nutrition specialist Sandy Procter says the increase in benefits – roughly $180 per month for a family of five, will provide SNAP recipients more flexibility in purchasing healthy foods.

Sound Living is a weekly public affairs program addressing issues related to families and consumers. It is hosted by Jeff Wichman. Each episode shares the expertise of K-State specialists in fields such as child nutrition, food safety, adult development and aging, youth development, family resource management, physical fitness and more.

Send comments, questions or requests for copies of past programs to [email protected].

K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan.