Answer
What are the USDA food plans?
They’re the USDA’s monthly prices for a healthy diet at four budget levels (thrifty, low-cost, moderate-cost and liberal): $1,024 to $1,679 a month for a family of four in August 2026.
Open the grocery budget calculator
Cost per person by age
| Age and sex | Thrifty | Low-cost | Moderate | Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, 1 year | $114 | $165 | $186 | $226 |
| Child, 2–3 | $173 | $174 | $207 | $252 |
| Child, 4–5 | $188 | $179 | $221 | $268 |
| Child, 6–8 | $209 | $262 | $304 | $356 |
| Child, 9–11 | $242 | $271 | $350 | $407 |
| Female, 12–13 | $224 | $269 | $322 | $401 |
| Female, 14–18 | $260 | $271 | $323 | $399 |
| Female, 19–50 | $254 | $276 | $336 | $429 |
| Female, 51–70 | $236 | $269 | $331 | $399 |
| Female, 71+ | $260 | $268 | $330 | $394 |
| Male, 12–13 | $258 | $317 | $392 | $460 |
| Male, 14–18 | $326 | $322 | $403 | $474 |
| Male, 19–50 | $319 | $317 | $398 | $486 |
| Male, 51–70 | $281 | $299 | $375 | $449 |
| Male, 71+ | $268 | $296 | $364 | $448 |
How to use them
Add up the figure for each person in your home, then adjust for household size: +20% for one person, +10% for two, +5% for three, none for four, −5% for five or six and −10% for seven or more. Our grocery calculator does it for you.
More questions
What is the thrifty food plan used for?
It sets the maximum SNAP benefit.
Why are there four plans?
To price the same healthy diet at different budgets, from minimal cost to more expensive choices.
Citing this? Link to https://tools.tidyandtended.com/answers/usda-food-plans-explained/. Free to reuse with a link (CC BY 4.0).
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