Alternative Approaches to Reevaluating the Thrifty Food Plan – Final Report

Excerpts from the Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) produces food plans to illustrate how a healthy diet can be achieved at various price points. The lowest cost plan, the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), must be reevaluated every five years (PL 115–334, the 2018 Farm Bill). The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) in the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) contracted with Mathematica (hereafter referred to as “the study team”) to identify alternative approaches for reevaluating the TFP. The purpose of this report is to describe potential options along with their advantages, disadvantages, and expected level of effort for implementation. The TFP is the lowest cost of the four food plans the USDA develops. The TFP outlines a market basket of nutrient-dense foods and beverages, their amounts, and associated expenses. The basket contents can support a healthy diet at home at a low cost (CNPP 2024). Per Federal law, the cost of the TFP serves as the basis for the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit amounts for the following Federal fiscal year.