
New Law Would Bar Louisiana SNAP Users From Buying These Items
What's for dinner is a common question in Louisiana. However, folks in Bunkie, Bastrop, Bogalusa, and Broussard will probably be asking the "dinner question" at breakfast. That's how we are in Louisiana we don't eat to live, we live to eat. It's what you do when you have a reputation for great foods and recipes.
But for many Louisiana home cooks the "what's for dinner" question is often curtailed by the question "what can we afford" for dinner. Almost one in eight residents of the United States gets some kind of food assistance. In Louisiana, that number is one in five, so any change in benefits is a big deal in Louisiana.
If proposed legislation passes many Louisiana SNAP users will see a significant change in their current benefits. No, the dollar amount and their food purchasing power will not change. What will change are the different kinds of foods and types of foods that your SNAP benefits will pay for.
Under the Healthy SNAP Act, those who receive SNAP benefits will no longer be able to use government money to buy junk food. The proposed changes to SNAP benefits would exclude the purchase of soft drinks, ice cream, and prepared desserts such as pies, cakes, cookies, and other similar products.
While this might sound harsh, the facts surrounding the bill make pretty good sense. About 20% of all SNAP spending goes toward junk food. About 75% of adults and 33% of American children are currently overweight or obese. Perhaps curtailing the ability to purchase unhealthy foods would help make great strides in the overall health of our nation.
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