Skip to main content
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States Government.
Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites always use a .gov or .mil domain. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you’re on a .gov or .mil site by inspecting your browser’s address (or “location”) bar.

SSL

This site is also protected by an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate that’s been signed by the U.S. government. The https:// means all transmitted data is encrypted  — in other words, any information or browsing history that you provide is transmitted securely.

USDA-FNS
  • Contact Us
  • Report Fraud
  • Ask the Expert
  • USDA.gov
USDA-FNS
  • Home
    • Data & Research
    • Research & Analysis
    • Program Data
    • Child Nutrition Tables
    • Food Distribution Program Tables
    • SNAP Tables
    • WIC Data Tables
    • Grants
    • Financial Management
    • Newsroom
    • Farm Bill
    • Federal Register Documents
    • FNS Blogs
    • FNS Infographics
    • FNS Press Releases
    • Notice to Stakeholders
    • USDA Press Releases
    • USDA Blogs
    • Webinars & Videos
    • Resources
    • Fact Sheets
    • Federal Register
    • Policy Memos
    • Videos/Webinars
    • All Resources
    • Our Agency
    • Our Administrator
    • Our Deputy Under Secretary
    • Contact us
    • Civil Rights
    • Core Nutrition Messages
    • FNS Partnerships
    • Freedom of Information Act
    • FNS Human Resources
    • State Systems Office
    • Programs
    • Child and Adult Care Food Program
    • Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
    • Community Food Systems
    • Commodity Supplemental Food Program
    • Farmers Market Nutrition Program
    • FNS Disaster Assistance
    • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
    • Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
    • Food Safety
    • National School Lunch Program
    • School Breakfast Program
    • Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program
    • SNAP
    • Special Milk Program
    • Summer Food Service Program
    • Team Nutrition
    • TEFAP
    • USDA Foods in Schools
    • WIC

USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food (monthly reports)

Breadcrumb

  1. Programs
  2. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
  3. Researcher
  4. USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food
Resource type
Data

The Thrifty, Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans each represent a nutritious diet at a different cost. The Thrifty Food Plan is the basis for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) allotments. (All files are PDFs unless otherwise noted.)
 

USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food Reports (monthly reports)
Other Current Publications
  • CNPP Food Prices Database, 2003-2004 (user's guide [pdf], database [xls], database [zip])
  • CNPP Food Prices Database, 2001-2002 (development report [pdf], database [zip])
  • The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans: 2007 Administrative Report
  • Thrifty Food Plan, 2006 Report

Related Websites
For information on eating a nutritious diet at a minimal cost, please see the Healthy Eating on a Budget section on ChooseMyPlate.gov, which provides a variety of tips and strategies for saving money while eating nutritiously. You may also be interested in the What's Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl -- a collection of quick, delicious, cost-effective recipes for every type of cook. What's Cooking? is an interactive tool to help with healthy meal planning, cooking, and grocery shopping. The site features a searchable database of healthy recipes, options to build a cookbook, print recipe cards, and share recipes via social media. What's Cooking? contains recipes for use by nutrition educators working with the SNAP-eligible population.

Archived Publications
Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals
The meal plans and recipes were developed and evaluated by The Pennsylvania State University under contract with the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Four-person families with limited incomes prepared and evaluated the menus and recipes for taste and quality. Note: This publication is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 1995 and the Food Guide Pyramid and is provided here for historical purposes.

  • The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans: 2003 Administrative Report
  • Thrifty Food Plan, 1999: Administrative Report
06/07/2019
  • Home
  • Data & Research
  • Grants
  • Newsroom
  • Resources
  • Our Agency
  • Programs
  • USDA
  • USA.gov
  • WhiteHouse.gov
  • FNS PartnerWeb.gov
  • No Fear Act
  • Privacy Policy
  • Non-Discrimination Statement
  • Civil Rights
  • FOIA
  • Information Quality
  • Peer Review
  • Accessibility

Sign up for Updates

USDA-FNS
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Gov Delivery
  • Instagram
  • Flickr
  • Youtube