'Back to one meal a day': SNAP benefits drop as food prices climb

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/17/ [login to see] /snap-benefits-food-hunger-pandemic-assistance
Teresa Calderez has never seen her nails look better.

"They were real split, cracked and dried," she said, fanning out her fingers. "And I noticed having eaten fresh vegetables and meats, you know, they look a lot better. They're not pretty, but they're healthier. And I think your nails say a lot about what your health is like."

Calderez is 63 and lives in Colorado Springs. Disabled and unable to work for years, she used to get a little over $20 a month in food stamps under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. That would run out very quickly. But as one of the millions of Americans who got extra federal assistance during the pandemic, her balance jumped to $280 a month. She said she was finally able to eat whenever she felt hungry.

"You know, I feel better. I have a little more energy," she said.