title: Behavioral Economics and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program:: Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice.
abstract: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves as an important nutritional safety net program for many Americans. Given its aim to use traditional economic levers to provide access to food, the SNAP program includes minimal nutritional requirements and restrictions. As food choices are influenced by more than just economic constraints, behavioral economics may offer insights and tools for altering food purchases for SNAP users. This manuscript outlines behavioral economics strategies that have potential to encourage healthier food choices within the SNAP program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (CDC Prevention Research Center), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address: alice_ammerman@unc.edu.
authors.forename: Alice S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ammerman
authors.affiliation: Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke-UNC USDA Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (CDC Prevention Research Center), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Molly M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: DeMarco
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D003132:Commerce; D060909:Economics, Behavioral; D005502:Food / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D063105:Food Assistance / Q000191:economics*; D005518:Food Preferences; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011203:Poverty; D014481:United States