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Wiley, The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 2(43), p. 274-304, 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6606.2009.01140.x

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Using the Thrifty Food Plan to Assess the Cost of a Nutritious Diet

Journal article published in 2009 by Parke E. Wilde ORCID, Joseph Llobrera
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

The federal government's Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) minimizes the difference between a proposed food plan and a current consumption bundle, subject to cost and nutrition constraints. This article adapted the TFP framework to estimate the cost of a nutritious diet, distinguishing between nutrition constraints based on food categories (meat, vegetables) or nutrients (saturated fat, calcium). The official cost target for the TFP was sufficient if one tolerated a very high difference from current consumption patterns, or if one used nutrition standards instead of MyPyramid food category standards. In other scenarios, with different constraints, the official cost target was insufficient.