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Methodology and Mathematical Modeling

Food Consumed Away from Home Can Be a Part of a Healthy and Affordable Diet^1,2

³ Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and ⁴ Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060; ⁵ Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, USDA, Alexandria, VA 22303; and ⁶ Diet, Safety, and Health Economics Branch, Food Economics Division, Economic Research Service, USDA, Washington, DC 20036

The benefit calculation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly the Food Stamp Program, is based primarily on results of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) developed by the USDA. By using a nonlinear mathematical programming approach, the TFP provides a dietary pattern recommendation that deviates the least from low-income consumers' consumption pattern, meets dietary guidelines, and is economical. The TFP stipulates that all foods should be purchased at stores and prepared at home [food at home (FAH)] and excludes an important part of current consumers' diet, food away from home (FAFH). Our purpose was to evaluate the feasibility and nutritional impact of adding a FAFH dimension into the TFP model framework. Measures of energy density, nutrients and food group composition, and the overall diet quality measured by the Healthy Eating Index 2005 were calculated and compared across the TFP, the TFP with FAFH, and low-income consumers' diet pattern. Our results indicated that considering moderate FAFH in the TFP yielded similar nutrient and food group composition as the original TFP while greatly increasing the practicality and adaptability of the recommended dietary pattern. These findings may be used by nutrition educators to develop healthful FAFH choices for individuals receiving SNAP benefits.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: wenyou{at}vt.edu.

Manuscript received 21 March 2009. Initial review completed 25 April 2009. Revision accepted 21 July 2009.

Published online 19 August 2009.