FNS Documents & Resources

Decision tree to help determine how to get your product considered for USDA Food distribution programs.

Healthy Eating Index scores range from 0 to 100 and are a measure of diet quality used to assess how well a set of foods aligns with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A higher score is ideal. The FDPIR Food Package scores an 84. This is higher than the average U.S. diet, which scores a 59.

See what fruits, vegetables, proteins, legumes, grains, dairy, soups, and traditional foods are available through FDPIR.

A document with questions and answers regarding the FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Project round two funds.

This page includes links to all the household USDA Foods Product Information Sheets for the vegetable food group. 

In this Oct. 16, 2014, webinar, Christina Riley of FNS provides an overview of USDA Foods nutrition, and Scott Richardson of Project Bread, Laurie Colgan of the Vermont Agency of Education, and Ed Herrera of the Idaho State Department of Education present school meals recipe resources developed by their organizations.

The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans outline nutrient-dense foods and beverages, their amounts, and associated costs that can be purchased on three successively higher budgets, each supporting a healthy diet through nutritious meals and snacks at home. The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans are used by various federal and state agencies and the court system. 

The Thrifty Food Plan, a fundamental part of the U.S. food guidance system and the basis for maximum food stamp allotments, has been revised by USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, with assistance from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, Economic Research Service, and Agricultural Research Service. The TFP provides a representative healthful and minimal cost meal plan that shows how a nutritious diet may be achieved with limited resources. The plan assumes that all purchased food is consumed at home.