Opportunities to Reduce Childhood Hunger and Obesity: Restructuring the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (the Food Stamp Program)

Childhood is a time of substantial nutritional needs. However, many children in low-income families do not consume adequate amounts of nutritious foods for optimal physical development, cognitive performance, and psychological well-being. The pending reauthorization of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program), a $75 billion annual federal food assistance program, provides a critical opportunity to improve the nutritional health of its 46.6 million recipients, nearly half of whom are children.¹