Some people on food stamps may buy healthier food if they’re incentivized, researchers reported in a new paper published Nov. 18.
Researchers studied the impact of the Rhode Island Eat Well, Be Well program, which launched in January 2024 and automatically provides a $0.50 credit per $1 spent in food stamps on fresh produce at Stop & Shop and Walmart.
The incentive was built into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which gives people who meet certain criteria, such as having an income below a certain level, money on electronic cards to spend on food.
The researchers compared 364 SNAP participants from Rhode Island to 361 participants from Connecticut to see if the Rhode Island program led to increases in fruit and vegetable consumption five to eight months after it launched….