Extravagant dining and feasting may be associated with a grandiose lifestyle, but it's certainly not the healthiest option. A new study led by Park Wilde, a food economist at Tufts, found that families who receive food stamps are more likely to buy food at grocery stores and thus have healthier eating habits.
The study found that even when not using food stamps, families who were part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were less likely to eat meals at restaurants or purchase prepared meals than families of similar incomes who were not part of the program.
Thanks to the new stimulus package, the SNAP program, which provides food for roughly 30 million low-income Americans, will be increased by 13.6 percent. According to the results of Wilde's study, this increase will hopefully provide serious health benefits for families who previously turned to fast food as a source of nutrition.
