Here is a fresh take on a food stamps program from NPR. The story is about an effort called "Más Fresco", or "More Fresh" in English, to rewards food stamp beneficiaries for buying more fresh produce. Research has shown that affordability is an obstacle to healthier eating for people in lower income brackets.
The University of California, San Diego is administering Más Fresco and studying its results with a $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has funded similar efforts in other states, including Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Mexico. The dollars invested in those states have been aimed at inducing food stamp recipients to buy more produce at farmers markets or at mobile markets that visit low-income neighborhoods.
The goal of the four-year program is to improve diets and overall health by making fresh produce more affordable. "We know food insecurity and, unfortunately, chronic disease go hand in hand," says Joe Prickitt, a UCSD dietitian who is senior director of Más Fresco.
An inspiring and healthy way to combat food insecurity.
The University of California, San Diego is administering Más Fresco and studying its results with a $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has funded similar efforts in other states, including Illinois, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and New Mexico. The dollars invested in those states have been aimed at inducing food stamp recipients to buy more produce at farmers markets or at mobile markets that visit low-income neighborhoods.
The goal of the four-year program is to improve diets and overall health by making fresh produce more affordable. "We know food insecurity and, unfortunately, chronic disease go hand in hand," says Joe Prickitt, a UCSD dietitian who is senior director of Más Fresco.
An inspiring and healthy way to combat food insecurity.
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