GFI's Stacy Dean said that with benefit amounts, the idea is that: “The food that you can buy should be nutritionally adequate, aligned with what people are generally buying and also very modest, modest cost.”
But the government makes a lot of assumptions — like assuming people have access to a low-cost grocery store, a full kitchen, and that they never waste food.
“SNAP benefits are set at a level where it is actually challenging for households to be able to purchase a basic, nutritionally adequate diet,” Dean said.