Table 1.
Basket cost level | Total cup equivalents | Share costing less than $0·40 per cup equivalent (%) | Average retail value of basket | Average cost per cup equivalent | Average number of different foods in basket | Share affordable with 25 % of budget (%) | Share affordable with 30 % of budget (%) | Share affordable with 35 % of budget (%) | Share affordable with 40 % of budget (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Moderate | 129 | 50 | $57·29 | $0·44 | 83 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 92·0 |
Low | 129 | 70 | $50·56 | $0·39 | 72 | 0 | 0 | 83·5 | 100 |
Very low | 129 | 90 | $43·27 | $0·34 | 49 | 0 | 87·4 | 100 | 100 |
Results of simulation using USDA’s Fruit and Vegetable Prices data product. The author generated 1000 baskets at each of 3 cost levels (moderate, low and very low). Each basket contained enough food to satisfy Federal dietary recommendations for fruits and vegetables for a four-person household (one male and one female aged 31–45 years, 1 child aged 10 years and one child aged 8 years) over 1 week. Less costly baskets included a greater share of products available for less than $0.40 per cup equivalent. All other products cost between $0.40 and $0.80 per cup equivalent. The household’s total food budget equals the value of its SNAP benefits ($147.76/week).