Randomized unconditional cash transfers improved diet quantity and quality in a low-income community in Massachusetts, USA

During COVID-19, Chelsea, a city in Massachusetts, USA, implemented an unconditional cash transfer (UCT) programme (‘Chelsea Eats’) that provided a nine-month benefit of up to US$400 per month to low-income households, allocated via lottery. UCTs are increasingly common, but their dietary impacts in high-income countries are unclear. In a randomized experiment, 905 individuals assigned to receive UCTs and 555 controls completed a 24-h diet recall after 4–6 months. At baseline, 90% identified as Latino/a, and 86% experienced food insecurity. At follow-up, average caloric intake was 1,351 kcal among those in control—far less than the approximately 2,060 kcal recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The intervention led to increased kilocalories (+146 kcal), and increased fruit (+0.17 cup equiv.), vegetable (+0.14 cup equiv.) and unprocessed meat (+0.54 oz.) consumption. These findings suggest that a recurring UCT reduced caloric deficits and improved intake of nutrient-dense foods among this food-insecure population in the United States.