Nutrition & Growing Consumption

9 out of 10 Americans do not meet The Dietary Guidelines for Americans fruit & vegetable consumption recommendations.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program has shown to decrease obesity rates and reduce plate waste.

The updated WIC fruit and vegetable benefit has more than doubled the variety of fruits and vegetables purchased by WIC participants.

Produce Prescription interventions in Medicaid have lowered hospitalization rates and reduced healthcare spending by an average of $1700 per patient annually.

8 out of 10 healthcare dollars are spent
on preventable chronic diseases.

Background

In the U.S., only one in 10 people consume the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. More than three-quarters of Americans are overweight or obese, and more than 80 percent of healthcare dollars are spent on preventable chronic diseases. Reversing the nation’s diet-related diseases demands a systemic approach targeted at increasing Americans’ consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Italian traditional dish with eggplant, tomatoes, olives, mozzarella and basil

2025 Nutrition Priorities

Farm Bill

Expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Pro- gram (FFVP) to more low-income elementary schools and keep the program open to only fresh produce.
Modernize USDA procurement programs to include more, and a wider variety, of fresh produce while eliminating lowest-cost bid solicitations.
Make dietary quality a core goal of SNAP while exploring a stand-alone fruit and veg- etable benefit for SNAP families and expand- ing the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive (GusNIP) program.
Maintain 10% of GusNIP funding for Produce Prescription projects and support state-wide expansion option.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Fully fund WIC to ensure maintenance of fruit and vegetable benefit amount.

Health and Human Services

Expand Produce Prescriptions through Medicaid waivers and federal health programs.
Support Front-of-Package labeling reform to ensure transparency on fruit and vegetable claims.

School Meals

Maintain the community eligibility provision.

Mollie Van Lieu

Vice President, Food & Nutrition Policy

Government Relations

+1(202)303-3403 Email Mollie Van Lieu

Nutrition & Growing Consumption