SPOKANE, Wash. – The federal agency overseeing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is proposing changes that could affect where SNAP benefits are used.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the proposed changes, which aim to strengthen SNAP retailer requirements. The plan would increase the variety of food from three to seven in each staple category, such as dairy and protein. Rollins said this initiative aims to reduce fraud and provide healthier options for families.
More than 880,000 people in Washington and another 130,000 in Idaho have SNAP cards. However, those cards are not always used at traditional grocery stores.
Bariatric surgeon Matt Rawlins emphasized the importance of offering more access to healthy food options. “There’s no other magic besides that it’s about picking the right healthy types of foods,” he said.
Rawlins further explained the convenience of certain foods. “It’s convenience food, right? It is one of the, if not the easiest form of getting food. That’s why it’s called convenience food,” he said.
Access to healthy fresh food can help those in low-income households avoid health issues connected to poor diet. “Unfortunately, in our society these days less expensive food tends to be less healthy and so as you get into low-income communities that you get into what food deserts or places, it’s really difficult to get good nutrition,” Rawlins said.
Registered dietician Katherine Lefler also spoke about the benefits of the proposed changes. “It’s very important to have healthy staples in your diet it’s the basis of everything with your health whether it’s brain function or your overall wellbeing,” she said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to increase stocking requirements for SNAP retailers. Stores would need to offer seven varieties in each food category, up from three. This switch targets staple foods.
“The staple is a whole food item generally, the closer you can get it from its beginning so like from the ground, it came meal from the tree or from the ground. The healthier option is,” said Rawlins.
The proposal also aims to close loopholes that allow snack foods to count as staples, supporting the Trump administration’s health initiatives. It seeks to reduce fraud by tightening what retailers have access to SNAP funding benefits and providing healthier choices for families.
“I feel like if we could get back to eating foods that our great grandparents would recognize and maybe they ate them, but they would look at it and know what it was and where it came from that’s probably a decent starting point of where to find your healthy foods,” Rawlins said.
These changes are currently only proposals, meaning no action has been taken yet to change the guidelines for current SNAP retailers.
