Image zoom Credit: Getty Images / Graphics by Tyrel Stendahl Our series, Good Food for All, examines the barriers to putting healthy food on the table and what is being done to help. In 2019, roughly 1 in 10 Americans were food-insecure, meaning that they couldn't afford enough nutritious food to meet their needs. In 2020, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising unemployment rate, it's estimated that this number has jumped to 1 in 6 Americans. To help alleviate the burden of food insecurity, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) runs the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP benefits are meant to help low-income households buy groceries and reduce food insecurity. The dollar amount of a person's SNAP benefits varies—depending on income, state and household size—but the average recipient gets $125 per month, or $1.39 per meal. The maximum benefit for a family of four is $680 per month, which comes out to $1.89 per meal per person.