Table 1.

US households receiving maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can afford to meet fruit and vegetable recommendations at one of three different cost levels depending on share of budget allocated to those foods

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).