Three research briefs summarize key results from the project, “From Scarcity to Prosperity: Nutrition and food spending goals and constraints for low-income Americans.” The briefs provide links to journal articles and other outputs for more details.
- UNDERSTANDING THE THRIFTY FOOD PLAN: A RESEARCH SUMMARY (.pdf). This research brief explains the role of the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), a theoretical healthy diet that determines the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit a person can receive, based on a January 2025 article in Food Policy by researchers from Penn State University, Tufts University, and Duke University.
- THE THRIFTY FOOD PLAN CALCULATOR: DEVELOPING YOUR OWN MODEL DIET (.pdf). As policymakers consider potential cuts to nutrition assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) Calculator provides a hands-on way to explore the tradeoffs the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) faces when designing this model diet.
- CONTROL OVER FOOD AND AUTONOMY IN LIFE: A RESEARCH SUMMARY (.pdf). What happens when people don’t feel in control of the food they eat? For households with low incomes, that lack of control may extend beyond what is on their plate and touch other parts of their lives. This research summary shares findings from a 2025 article in Health Education & Behavior by researchers at Tufts University and Duke University. The study explores how households with limited resources perceive their control over food, how this shapes their broader sense of autonomy in their lives, and what it means for their health and well-being.
