A brief genealogy of the Thrifty Food Plan

• Published in: Food, culture, & society Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 174 - 201
• Main Author: Babb, Angela M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Routledge 01.01.2024; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Agriculture; Consumption patterns; Diet; dietary guidelines for Americans; Discourse analysis; Food; Food consumption; Food security; food stamps; Genealogy; Households; Hunger; Literature reviews; Low income groups; Nutrition; Poverty; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Thrifty Food Plan (TFP); United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); United States > US
• ISSN: 1552-8014; 1751-7443
• DOI: 10.1080/15528014.2022.2072073

The Thrifty Food Plan emerged from the Economy Food Plan in 1975 as a mathematical program that represented a nutritious diet for low-income Americans. Calculated last in 2021 by the US Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, the Thrifty Food Plan determines the maximum amount of food assistance for households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Drawing on national archives, interviews, congressional discourse analysis, literature review, and mathematical modeling, this paper traces a genealogy of the Thrifty Food Plan from 1975 to the present along six themes. This genealogy tells a story of changing consumption patterns, dietary standards, and the ways in which the USDA defines food, people, and the basic food needs of the poorest Americans. This paper highlights avenues for further research into the various aspects of the Thrifty Food Plan that can elucidate the historical framing of hunger and poverty in the United States.