After 33 years of service, SNAP-Ed, the educational program that taught low-income families how to eat better, has been eliminated. There's no confusion: SNAP, the food stamp program, remains active. But SNAP-Ed, the part that taught how to cook, plan, and eat healthy with limited resources, is gone.
The decision was made after the approval of a new budget law on July 4. The official argument is saving on social programs, but the reaction from those who depended on the program is outrage and frustration.
What SNAP-Ed did
SNAP-Ed didn't provide food, but it taught how to make the most of it. Its classes offered strategies for planning weekly menus, making smart purchases, and cooking healthily without overspending. In addition, it promoted physical activity and the inclusion of fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods with limited access.
The program was much more than recipes. For families with modest incomes, it was a practical guide to improve nutrition, reduce dependence on ultra-processed foods, and take care of the health of the whole family. Many saw it as an essential tool that made a difference in daily life.
Reactions and consequences
The elimination of SNAP-Ed has sparked a wave of criticism. Kristin McCartney, director of SNAP-Ed in West Virginia, states that the news left many families with a sense of loss and frustration. Cindy Leung, a public health researcher at Harvard, warns that without this nutrition education, many people will go back to relying on processed and less nutritious foods.
Beyond families, educators, volunteers, and social workers also face uncertainty. Many are wondering how they can continue their work in the community without the resources and structure that SNAP-Ed provided.
A cut that could be costly
SNAP-Ed was an investment in public health. It helped prevent diseases, taught healthy lifestyle habits, and optimized the resources of the most vulnerable families. Its elimination even contradicts the government's own arguments: educating about nutrition reduces medical costs in the long term.
With its disappearance, families will have fewer tools to face daily nutrition with a limited budget. Some states are looking for local alternatives with the help of associations, but there are no guarantees that they can fill the gap. In a country with high rates of obesity and diet-related diseases, eliminating SNAP-Ed will have deep consequences.
The farewell to SNAP-Ed isn't just a closure: it's losing a guide that helped the most vulnerable live healthier lives. What seemed like a simple budget cut may translate into a much greater human and social cost in the long term.