Nation's first state-level SNAP fresh produce incentive program shows promise and room to grow
A Brown-led study of the nation’s first state-level SNAP fruit and vegetable incentive program finds small gains for some in the Rhode Island program but highlights overall need for better outreach and access.
Brown University
Across the country, policymakers and nutrition experts are searching for ways to help low-income families eat healthier as food costs remain high. Some have pushed for stricter limits on what SNAP benefits can buy, such as banning soda or candy, while others argue that financial incentives that encourage healthy choices are more effective.
A team of researchers from the Brown University School of Public Health, the University of Rhode Island and the University of Illinois Chicago have added fresh but inconclusive evidence to the debate, finding that the nation’s first state-level fresh produce incentive program for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) led to small gains among some participants but no overall increase in fruit and vegetable intake.
“Early results and follow-ups show that while incentives are part of the solution, more needs to be done to ensure people are aware of the program and how to best use it to buy more fruits and vegetables,” said Alison Tovar, associate professor of behavioral and social sciences and interim director of the Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity.
Published in JAMA Network Open, the study evaluated Rhode Island’s Eat Well, Be Well Incentive Program, which is the first state-level, SNAP fruit and vegetable reward program in the country. Launched in January 2024, the program gives SNAP recipients $0.50 back for every $1 spent on fresh fruits and vegetables, up to $25 each month. The credit is automatically loaded onto EBT cards and can be used in-person at all Stop & Shop and Walmart stores across Rhode Island.
The new analysis looked at 725 SNAP recipients split between Rhode Island and Connecticut. Connecticut was used as a comparison site because it has no similar incentive program in place.
Researchers began tracking the participants in both Rhode Island and Connecticut in 2023, just before Eat Well, Be Well launched and conducted follow-ups five to seven months after the program began.
Investigators found modest, but statistically insignificant, increases in fruit and vegetable consumption during these first months compared to the control in Connecticut. In other words, while Rhode Island participants ate slightly more produce after the program began, the change wasn’t significantly different compared to those who didn’t receive the same incentive.
Researchers say low awareness, limited store access and practical barriers likely affected early uptake. For instance, only about one in three participants could correctly describe what Eat Well, Be Well offers and just one in four reported using the discount. And while the program launched with two large retail partners, relying solely on those stores meant excluding many SNAP participants who shop at different grocery stores, markets or neighborhood stores.
“Some families also may have found produce prices still too high even with the incentive,” Tovar said. “Others may have faced limited transportation options that made it harder to reach participating retailers.”
The study also found that participants who already ate higher amounts of fruits and vegetables before the program saw the greatest increases afterward. That may be because they were more motivated to make healthy choices, had established preferences for healthy foods or already knew how to shop for and cook fresh produce, according to the team, making it easier for them to take advantage of the discount.
“That suggests the program design has potential, but that implementation, communication and clarity are critical if we want to see population-wide improvements,” Tovar said. “Programs like Eat Well, Be Well need to engage community partners, participants and grocers earlier in the design and implementation process to ensure these programs reach those with the lowest fruit and vegetable intake. Strengthening these partnerships, geographic reach and the variety of participating retailers, represents a key opportunity as Rhode Island and other states refine their fruit and vegetable incentive programs.”
Other research on smaller scale nutrition incentive programs have been associated with modest but meaningful increases in fruit and vegetable intake, with participants typically consuming slightly more cups or servings per day. This is especially true among those who participate for longer periods. Overall, about 42 million Americans, including more than 144,000 Rhode Islanders, receive food stamps through SNAP, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Researchers recently completed a longer term evaluation that may show greater benefits as awareness of the program grows. The team is currently conducting additional interviews with SNAP participants and community members.
“We’re using these conversations to learn directly from participants, community advocates and implementation partners about what would make the program more usable and sustainable in their daily lives,” Tovar said.
Journal
JAMA Network Open
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Evaluation of a State-Level Incentive Program to Improve Diet
Article Publication Date
28-Nov-2025
A retail approach nudges healthier choices in food relief
University of Adelaide
image:
A volunteer at a Foodbank SA & NT Food Hub
view moreCredit: Foodbank SA & NT
A University of Adelaide study, conducted in collaboration with Foodbank SA & NT, has demonstrated that strategies supermarkets commonly use to influence shopper behaviour can be successfully adapted for food relief pantries.
The eight-month study found promotional cues and strategic product placement of fresh and nutritious food options, as well as a pricing intervention applied to certain foods, empowered people experiencing food insecurity to select more nutritious foods.
While the pricing intervention amplified the effects of the other two strategies, promotional cues and product placement alone led to meaningful shifts in food choices among clients in South Australian Foodbanks.
“All edible items were categorised as either ‘red’, ‘amber’, ‘green’ and ‘greener green’ based on nutritional value. This informed a shelf-stacking system that prioritised healthier options by placing them in more prominent and accessible shelves,” says study author Shaeny Chandra, a PhD candidate from the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.
“This led to an increase in turnover of ‘greener green’ category foods – primarily fresh fruit and vegetables – while turnover of red category discretionary snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages declined.”
Maintaining a nutritious diet is a significant challenge for those accessing food relief, often compounding other health concerns.
“One in three households in Australia experiences some level of food insecurity, and of those 33 per cent report a moderate to severe level of food insecurity,” says Shaeny Chandra, whose study is published in the journal Appetite.
“The 2025 Foodbank Hunger Report suggests that up to 25 per cent of food-insecure households are accessing food relief.
“Poor diet is a leading contributor to the Australian burden of obesity, and other non-communicable diseases. Improving nutritional outcomes in food relief settings, therefore, could have far-reaching health benefits.”
Foodbank CEO, Greg Pattinson says the intervention is notable for preserving dignity for Foodbank’s clients.
“What’s really important about the promotion, placement and pricing strategy is that it does not remove agency from people – they are still able to make food choices based on what is best for them or their families,” he says.
Results from the study showed that when presented with healthy, nutritious options and supported by clear promotional messaging, people are more likely to make healthier choices. The new categorised shelving system also improved stock presentation and inventory management.
“We identified that, prior to our intervention, whenever a space opened up on a shelf, it would be filled with any available stock, rather than mirroring the retail practice of restocking based on turnover,” Shaeny says.
“With the new product placement strategy in place, Food Hubs now give their clients more consistency by maintaining a product layout and ordering replacement stock according to what has moved from the shelf – with healthier options given priority placement.”
The University has collaborated with Foodbank SA & NT for almost a decade, creating practical resources designed by researchers and students from the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine – many of which continue to help families today.
Similarly, following the completion of Shaeny Chandra’s study, the intervention was implemented in four Foodbank locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Journal
Appetite
No comments:
Post a Comment