SPRINGFIELD, Mo -- One in six Missourians don't have enough money to buy groceries.
That's the new figure released today by the US Department of Agriculture.
The report, Household Food Security in the US in 2011, says nearly 15% of Americans - about 1 in 7 - are food insecure.
They're afraid their food will run out, the food they buy won't last, they can't afford to eat healthy, and sometimes even skip a meal to save money.
In Missouri, it's upwards of 16%, or 1 in 6. Cashiers we spoke to say you can't apply stereotypes anymore to people who rely on food stamps to pay for groceries.
"I see people in their 60s, 70s, shopping by themselves," Jade Ahhee, a cashier at Hyvee in Springfield, tells KSPR news. "I see families in their 20s and 30s. I see a wide variety."
Government programs provide some relief - the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP - helps 46 million Americans every month. The federal government spends $75 million to underwrite the program.
To learn more about SNAP and eligibility, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/
To read the USDA report on food security, visit http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/884525/err141.pdf
