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

Author

Listed:
  • Justine Hastings
  • Ryan Kessler
  • Jesse M. Shapiro

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Justine Hastings & Ryan Kessler & Jesse M. Shapiro, 2021. "The Effect of SNAP on the Composition of Purchased Foods: Evidence and Implications," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(3), pages 277-315, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:13:y:2021:i:3:p:277-315
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20190350
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    Cited by:

    1. Liu, Yizao & Cleary, Rebecca & Carlson, Andrea, . "Health News Environment and the Distribution of Diet Quality," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 49(3).
    2. Wich, Hannah & Harris-Lagoudakis, Katherine, 2025. "Does SNAP participation increase bulk purchases?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    3. Zoë Cullen & Ricardo Perez-Truglia, 2023. "The Old Boys' Club: Schmoozing and the Gender Gap," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 113(7), pages 1703-1740, July.
    4. Koski, Heli & Kuikkaniemi, Kai & Pantzar, Mika, 2023. "Do Grocery Feedback Systems Enabling Access to Past Consumption Impact Individual Food Purchase Behavior?," ETLA Working Papers 103, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    5. Lin, Xirong, 2023. "Food demand and cash transfers: A collective household approach with Homescan data," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 233-259.
    6. Lisa A. Gennetian & Greg Duncan & Nathan A. Fox & Katherine Magnuson & Sarah Halpern-Meekin & Kimberly G. Noble & Hirokazu Yoshikawa, 2022. "Unconditional Cash and Family Investments in Infants: Evidence from a Large-Scale Cash Transfer Experiment in the U.S," NBER Working Papers 30379, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Joel Cuffey & Timothy K. M. Beatty, 2022. "Effects of competing food desert policies on store format choice among SNAP participants," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(4), pages 1485-1511, August.
    8. Simon Freyaldenhoven & Christian Hansen & Jorge Perez Perez & Jesse Shapiro, 2021. "Visualization, Identification, and stimation in the Linear Panel Event-Study Design," Working Papers 21-44, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    9. Hut, Stefan, 2020. "Determinants of Dietary Choice in the US: Evidence from Consumer Migration," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    10. Jinglin Feng & Linlin Fan & Edward C. Jaenicke, 2024. "The distributional impact of SNAP on dietary quality," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 55(1), pages 104-139, January.
    11. Acerenza, Santiago & Wich, Hannah & Bartalotti, Otavio & Kreider, Brent, 2025. "The Effect of SNAP Participation on Mental Health: Using Marginal Effects to Bound Average Effects," 2025 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2025, Denver, CO 360893, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Schanzenbach, Diane Whitmore, 2023. "Understanding SNAP: An overview of recent research," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    13. Wu, Kaidi, 2020. "The Effect of SNAP on Dietary Quality: Evidence from FoodAPS," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304462, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    14. Katherine Harris‐Lagoudakis & Hannah Wich, 2024. "Purchases over the SNAP benefit cycle: Evidence from supermarket panel data," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 62(4), pages 1426-1448, October.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • H75 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Government: Health, Education, and Welfare
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • L66 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Food; Beverages; Cosmetics; Tobacco

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