Elucidating social network strategies to expand the scope of nutrition education

Public health efforts support nutrition education programs targeting low-income families receiving food assistance benefits like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This assumes low-income families lack nutrition knowledge. A qualitative study of 30 recipients of SNAP demonstrated most knew which are the “right foods” to eat, but the ability to “eat right” goes beyond nutritional knowledge. Eating right is achieved through resourcefulness to feed families within a context of limited financial assets that is fostered by social connections to people, places, and non-human actors. Findings challenge underlying assumptions about low-income families and elucidate opportunities for extending the scope of nutrition education.