Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is a federally assisted program providing free fresh fruit and vegetable snacks to students in participating elementary schools during the school day. The goal of the FFVP is to improve children’s overall diet and create healthier eating habits to impact their present and future health. The FFVP will help schools create healthier school environments by:
- Providing healthier food choices
- Expanding the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience
- Increasing children’s fruit and vegetable consumption
The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program provides all children and staff in participating schools with a mid morning or mid afternoon snack of a fresh fruit or vegetable. It is an effective and creative way of introducing fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snack options.
- Fresh fruits and vegetables are a healthy alternate snack for high calorie snacks of low nutritional value
- Different fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and other compounds
- Diets rich in a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables and other healthy food choices may reduce the risk of chronic diseases
A few of the health benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables are the following:
- Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keep teeth and gums healthy
- Fiber decreases risk of coronary heart disease and helps bowel function
- Potassium helps maintain a healthy blood pressure
- Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections