Food stamps, the Thrifty Food Plan, and meal preparation: the importance of the time dimension for US nutrition policy.

摘要

The Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) plays a key role in US nutrition policy. It integrates anti-hunger policies and dietary guidance, both acting as a basis for inflation adjustments to Food Stamp allotments and choosing items for its market basket that are based on the latest dietary recommendations. In order to be economical, the TFP makes the assumption that most dishes are prepared from raw ingredients. However, it has been suggested that this assumption may contradict welfare policy, which encourages increased participation in the labour force by low-income women. This study compares empirical evidence about meal preparation times in US households with TFP implicit assumptions about food preparation. The economist's household production approach is used to discuss trade offs between time and money inputs used in the preparation of meals. The potential implications of policy contradictions are assessed, together with related requirements for future research and practice.