New Fruit & Veg Program Offers Up Fresh Food Breaks in School

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Want a healthy break at school? Why not bite into fresh fruit.

Students in some Arizona schools are now enjoying the fresh apples, cantaloupes, and other fruits and vegetables offered as part of the Dept. of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program,  started back in 2002.

The program has opened in 94 schools in Arizona with $3.7 million dollars allocated in helping to reimburse school’s healthy snack purchases, that can then be disbursed to students throughout the day during class times.

Casa Grande Elementary School District (65.7% Latino) is thrilled to enjoy the fresh produce in class, like string beans, and exotic star fruit.

The schools that have applied for the program are hoping to encourage students to increase healthier snacking selections even when outside of school.

“The goal is to try to train students to pick vegetables over a bag of potato chips,” Germaine Davenport, the Food Services Director, explained to local news.

Latino students are often marketed unhealthy foods in schools or close to school property, and many times Latino-majority schools often offer less healthy fresh fruit or salad bars (61.3%) than other schools (87.8%), revealed the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in a recent study.

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program is now nationwide, offering $184 million in federal funding throughout this school year to help students consume more fresh fruits and vegetables.

To learn more about healthier foods for Latino schools, click here.