The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant Program (FFVP) provides all children in participating elementary schools with a variety of free fresh fruits and vegetables at designated snack times throughout the school day. It is an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options. The FFVP also encourages community partnerships to support the schools when they offer free fruit and vegetables to children during the school day.
The goal of the FFVP is to:
- Create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices.
- Expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience.
- Increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption.
- Make a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future health.
This program is seen as an important catalyst for change in efforts to combat childhood obesity by helping children learn more healthful eating habits. The FFVP introduces school children to a variety of produce that they otherwise might not have had the opportunity to sample.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) at the federal level. In Wyoming, the FFVP is administered by the Wyoming Department of Education.
Under the FFVP, selected elementary schools receive reimbursement of the cost of making free fresh fruits and vegetables available to students. These fresh fruits and vegetables must be provided separately from the lunch or breakfast meal, in one or more areas of the school during the official school day.
