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Availability
of Fresh Produce in
Nutrition Assistance Programs
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
Fruit
and vegetable consumption is an
important component of a balanced diet
consistent with the Dietary Guidelines
for Americans and the Food Guide
Pyramid. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition
Service (FNS) promotes the increased
consumption of fruits and vegetables, in
all forms – fresh, frozen, canned,
dried and juices, through its nutrition
assistance programs. Some nutrition
assistance programs, such as the
National School Lunch Program and the
Emergency Food Assistance Program,
provide foods directly to eligible
recipients, while other nutrition
assistance programs, such as the Food
Stamp Program, provide recipients with
the financial support to purchase foods,
including fruits and vegetables directly
from retailers and farmers. In fiscal
year 2001, almost $7 billion of FNS
program funds went to support
consumption of fruits and vegetables by
children and low-income families. FNS
has encouraged the increased
availability of fresh fruits and
vegetables by partnering with the
Department of Defense to purchase and
deliver a greater variety of fresh
produce for schools and Indian
reservations. USDA continues to explore
ways to offer a greater variety of
commodities in the nutrition assistance
programs, while providing nutrition
education that promotes the acceptance
of these offerings in recipient’s
diets.
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