Fruits and Vegetables: Enhanced Federal Efforts to Increase	 
Consumption Could Yield Health Benefits for Americans (25-JUL-02,
GAO-02-657).							 
                                                                 
Fruits and vegetables are a critical source of nutrients and	 
other substances that help protect against chronic diseases. Yet 
fewer than one in four Americans consumes the 5 to 9 daily	 
servings of fruits and vegetables recommended by the federal	 
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Fruit and vegetable consumption
by the general public as a whole has increased by about half a	 
serving under key federal nutritional policy, guidance, and	 
educational programs, as shown by the national consumption data  
compiled by federal agencies. But key federal food assistance	 
programs have had mixed effects on fruit and vegetables 	 
consumption, as shown by national consumption data. However,	 
increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is not a primary focus
of these programs, which are intended to reduce hunger and	 
support agriculture. A number of actions the federal government  
could take to encourage more Americans to consume the recommended
daily servings have been identified. These include expanding	 
nutrition education efforts, such as the 5 A Day Program;	 
modifying the special supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,  
Infants, and Children to allow participants to choose from more  
of those fruits and vegetables; expanding the use of the	 
Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Project in	 
schools; and expanding farmers' market programs for food	 
assistance participants. These options could require additional  
resources or redirecting resources from other programs. 	 
-------------------------Indexing Terms------------------------- 
REPORTNUM:   GAO-02-657 					        
    ACCNO:   A04084						        
  TITLE:     Fruits and Vegetables: Enhanced Federal Efforts to       
Increase Consumption Could Yield Health Benefits for Americans	 
     DATE:   07/25/2002 
  SUBJECT:   Food programs for children 			 
	     Food programs for the elderly			 
	     Health research programs				 
	     Nutrition research 				 
	     Disadvantaged persons				 
	     Program evaluation 				 
	     Food Stamp Program 				 
	     HHS Healthy People 2010 Initiative 		 
	     National School Breakfast Program			 
	     National School Lunch Program			 
	     Special Supplemental Nutrition Program		 
	     for Women, Infants and Children			 
                                                                 
	     USDA Adult Expanded Food and Nutrition		 
	     Education Program					 
                                                                 
	     WIC Farmers Market Program