Toolkit for School Operators Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

What is the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program?

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is a federally assisted program providing free fresh fruits and vegetables to students in participating schools during the school day. The goal of FFVP is to introduce new and different varieties and to increase overall acceptance and consumption of fresh, unprocessed produce among children. FFVP also encourages healthier school environments by promoting nutrition education.

FFVP is seen as an important catalyst for change in efforts to combat childhood obesity by helping children learn more healthful eating habits.

Goals of the Program

• Create healthier school environments by providing healthier food choices
• Expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience
• Increase children’s fresh fruit and vegetable consumption
• Make a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future health

How to Apply for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program?

FFVP is available through an application process to schools that meet certain eligibility requirements. Schools who meet the eligibility requirement must submit an application and stakeholder signature pages to be considered for the program.

To be selected to participate in FFVP, your school must:

• Operate the National School Lunch Program
• Serve students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade
• Submit an application and be selected by the Indiana Department of Education
• Make free fresh fruits and vegetables available to all children enrolled in grades kindergarten through sixth grade
• Provide a fresh fruit or vegetable during the school day that is not served before or after school or during summer school and not during lunch or breakfast meal service
• Widely publicize within the school the availability of free fresh fruits and vegetables
• Have documented support of the food service manager, principal, and district superintendent or head of the school

Program Administration

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) at the federal level. At the State level, FFVP is administered by the State Agency that administers the National School Lunch Program. In administering the program, States must keep in mind direction from Congress which provides that the purpose of the program is to make available free fresh fruits and vegetables to children.

Selected schools receive reimbursement for the cost of making free fresh fruits and vegetables available to students during the school day. 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. All schools that participate in FFVP are required to widely publicize within the school the availability of free fresh fruits and vegetables.

Program Requirements

• Submit an application and stakeholder signature pages to be considered for the program
• Follow proper procurement procedures, track FFVP spending, retain all invoices and receipts, complete monthly claims for reimbursement, and undergo occasional site or administrative reviews
• Agree to widely publicize the availability of the program
• Schools are encouraged to develop partnerships to help implement the program, such as with local universities, extension services, and local grocers.

Meal Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If a child’s disability prevents them from consuming any fresh fruits or vegetables as prepared, the school must provide accommodations as they would for other school meals. Schools must consider how the requirement may be applied in the operation of FFVP. For example, a school may need to do a simple swap of a fruit to a different one because of an allergy. Another situation that may occur in providing accommodations for FFVP is that schools may have to modify texture. In doing so, schools should consider starting with fresh items and avoid pureeing canned or frozen fruits and vegetables, including baby foods. In most instances, fresh fruits can be pureed. We recognize that this is not always the case for vegetables. Fresh vegetables should be used when feasible but may be cooked and then pureed when needed.

The pureeing of fresh produce for students with disabilities must be done within the constraints of their medical requirements as allowed by their physician. However, schools should make sure that both the parent and the child’s doctor are aware of the program and its intent to provide fresh produce in order to determine if the fresh items are an acceptable choice for texture modifications.

Receive reimbursement for allowable costs of purchasing, preparing, and serving fresh fruits and vegetables to children in the school!

Who Can Receive the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables?

Children

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) is for all the children who normally attend your school. Any child who is considered a member of the school and who is present during the service of fruits and vegetables may participate.

Children attending a Child Care Center, Head Start Program or split-session kindergarten class located in a FFVP school may participate if they are considered enrolled in the participating school and are in school the days the program is offered.

Reminder! You cannot withhold fruits and vegetables as a form of discipline.

Teachers

Adults at a school including those attending school functions cannot participate in FFVP.

However, teachers can play a valuable role in modeling positive eating habits by consuming fruits and vegetables along with their students.

Teachers may participate under the following conditions:

• Only teachers who are directly responsible for serving the fruit or vegetable to their students in a classroom setting may consume the fruit and/or vegetable.
• Teachers choosing to participate with their students are strongly encouraged to include a nutrition education component to enhance their positive role modeling.
• FFVP is not available to the general teacher population and other adults in the school.

How to Operate the Program?

Procurement Procedures

The “Buy American” requirement in the National School Lunch Program applies to purchases made with FFVP funds. Produce such as bananas, which are generally not available as a domestic product, may be purchased even though they are not domestic.

Schools needing additional guidance on specific purchases and how an item would be affected by the Buy American provision should contact the State agency for assistance.

Serving Times

Your school has the flexibility to schedule fresh fruit and vegetable delivery at any time during the school day other than during the School Breakfast Program or National School Lunch Program's meal service periods.

Fruits and vegetables may only be served during the school day (i.e., not before school or during afterschool programs). This provides an opportunity to incorporate a nutrition lesson along with the service of produce.

Multiple distribution times may be used and may be the best way to maximize participation.

Distribution Methods

The most successful distribution areas for FFVP will be places where you can ensure that children can easily reach the fruits and vegetables.

The techniques you use to distribute fruits and vegetables will depend on a number of factors.

Consider grade level, maturity of the students, time available to eat the fruits and vegetables, time required for preparation and service of fresh fruits and vegetables, extra clean-up, garbage concerns, and staffing issues.

Schools can offer FFVP to children through a variety of distribution methods:

• Classroom
• Hallways
• Mobile Carts

Providing a nutrition education component while serving fresh fruits and vegetables is the ideal way to introduce and reinforce good eating habits.

Presentation Methods

The produce you serve should be presented in such a manner which will be easily identified or recognized for what it is. Encourage children to enjoy fruits and vegetables in their original form. Children should be able to view fruits, like juicy, ripe peaches and tart, crunchy apples, without dips or flavor additives; or vegetables like crunchy, sweet sugar snap peas or colorful, crisp purple cauliflower.

Remember, when purchasing for the program, the goal is to serve a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in their natural state and without additives. Dicing and slicing into smaller pieces for ease of service, as well as the addition of ascorbic acid, is acceptable.

FFVP provides schools the opportunity to purchase exotic fruits or vegetables that are not available locally or that are not domestically grown. When purchasing such items always follow proper procurement procedures and the Buy American provision.

Slicing whole fruits and vegetables may make them easier for children to eat.

What are Unallowable and Allowable Costs?

FFVP Does Not Allow:

• Processed or preserved fruits and vegetables (i.e., canned, frozen, or dried)
• Prepared salsa/guacamole
• Dip for fruit
• Fruit or vegetable juice
• Snack type fruit products, such as fruit strips, fruit drops, fruit leather
• Jellied fruit
• Trail mix
• Nuts
• Cottage cheese
• Fruit or vegetable pizza
• Smoothies
• Fruit that has added flavorings (including fruit that has been injected with flavorings)
• Yogurt covered dried fruit
• Carbonated fruit
• Most non-food items, except those allowed under administrative/operational costs

FFVP Allows:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Cutting boards
• Peelers or utensils needed for produce preparation
• Knives for produce preparation (to be used by kitchen staff)
• Sponges or rags for cleaning produce
• Strainer for cleaning produce
• Corer or Wedger
• Spiral peeler/apple peeler
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic wrap
• Portion cups
• Utensils for eating
• Coolers to transport produce from kitchen to classroom
• Baskets to transport produce from kitchen to classroom
• Ice packs for coolers
• Bowls, trays, or serving pieces for produce
• Napkins
• Plates
• Ziploc bags for prepared produce
• Cleaning products
• Containers for leftovers

Items purchased with FFVP funds must be used exclusively for the FFVP. Comingling of funds is not permitted.

FFVP Limits:

• Dips for vegetables -- If you choose to serve dip with vegetables, make sure to only offer low-fat, yogurt based, or other low-fat or non-fat dips. The amount used should be what is commonly noted as a “serving size” for condiments, as shown on Nutrition Fact Labels: 1 to 2 tablespoons. Try to use dips sparingly, as the intention of the program is to introduce items to students in their basic form and to learn more about their flavors, tastes, and textures without the additions of dips or other flavors.
• Service of “prepared” vegetables -- Fresh (not canned, frozen, dried, or otherwise processed) vegetables that are cooked, must be limited to once a week and must always include a nutrition education lesson related to the prepared item.

Purchasing Fruits and Vegetables

One goal of FFVP is to expand the varieties of fruits and vegetables your students consume. Try “sample sizes” to introduce new items, and then adjust your ordering accordingly. To the extent possible, you should not limit the choices you offer. Find innovative and fun ways to encourage your students to try different foods.

FFVP schools must follow proper procurement procedures. Produce must always be graded and inspected according to existing local, State, and Federal guidelines.

You can support local agricultural producers by buying fresh produce from farmers’ markets, orchards, and growers in your community. Produce purchased with FFVP funds is meant to be used in FFVP only. They cannot be used as a replacement to the National School Lunch Program. When you are purchasing fresh produce, including produce from local vendors, proper procurement procedures must be followed.

The “Buy American” requirement in the National School Lunch Program applies to purchases made with FFVP funds. Produce such as bananas, which are generally not available as a domestic product, may be purchased even though they are not domestic. If you receive non-domestic produce, you must secure a statement from your produce company/vendor which indicates that the produce ordered was not available as a domestic product. Keep this documentation in your FFVP file. Schools needing additional guidance on specific purchases and how an item would be affected by the Buy American provision should contact the State agency for assistance.

Note: Purchase of small equipment must be pre-approved by the State Agency. For example:

• Food Processor
• Refrigerator
• Portable Food Bars

Please keep in mind that most of a school’s FFVP funds must go toward purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables. All non-food costs must be carefully reviewed and deemed reasonable, given the extent of program operations (e.g., daily vs. twice a week and produce that is served whole versus sliced and put in containers).

Remember when purchasing for FFVP the goal is to serve a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in their natural state and without additives. Dicing and slicing into smaller pieces for ease of service, as well as the addition of ascorbic acid is acceptable.

How Do I Get Reimbursed?

Reimbursement for FFVP is similar to other Child Nutrition Programs. Schools submit a monthly claim and are reimbursed by the State agency for purchases of fresh fruits and fresh vegetables served for free to children during the school day. Within the basic requirements, FFVP gives your school flexibility to develop your own implementation plan, involve your teachers and other school staff, work out problems, and reach your own solutions. Your school decides when, where, and how you want to implement FFVP, and what mix of fresh fruits and vegetables you want to offer your children.

Selected elementary schools receive 50 to 75 dollars per student each school year. The exact amount of per student funding is determined by the State agency, and is based on the total funds allocated to the State, the student enrollment at participating schools, and the number of days of operation of the program at the school. With these funds, schools purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to serve free of charge to children during the school day. Participating schools submit monthly claims for reimbursement, which are reviewed by the school food authority before payment is processed by the State agency. Schools are then reimbursed for the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as limited non-food costs.

Program Costs

Program costs are broken out into two categories: operating and administrative.

Operating costs are the costs of running your FFVP service. These are your documented expenses for acquiring, delivering, preparing, and serving fruits and vegetables.

School administrative costs are the documented expenses you have for planning the program, managing the paperwork, obtaining the equipment you need, and all other aspects of FFVP that are not related to the actual preparation and service of fruits and vegetables.

School administrative costs are limited to 10 percent of your school’s total FFVP grant. Schools must not exceed this limit. Budget carefully to stay within the 10 percent limit on administrative costs and 10 percent limit on operating costs.

Where Can I Find Promotional Materials?

As a FFVP school, you are required to widely publicize the availability of the program.

The Indiana Department of Education provides FFVP Promotional Packages to awarded schools which includes everything you need to keep your program looking & tasting FRESH in one download.

Items in the FFVP Promotional Package include:

• Parent Flyer
• Teacher Flyer
• Stickers
• Logo
• Taste & Talk (Conversation Starters)
• A - Z Fruit and Vegetable Calendar
• Monthly Fruit and Vegetable Calendar

For many children, the produce they see in school might be their first experience with certain fresh fruits and vegetables. That is why nutrition education is critical to the program’s success.

How to Take your Program to the Next Level?

Nutrition education, promotion, and partnerships are critical parts of the FFVP’s success. Check out various ideas below.

• Be proud of your program! Include FFVP within the school morning announcements.
• Let the students help create fruit and vegetable posters and bulletin boards.
• Hold a fruit or vegetable drawing/coloring contest. Display some of the winning pictures on bulletin boards in the school.
• Create a fruit and vegetable (or FFVP) newsletter that students can take home to share with their family. Share what the students ate this week at the school and how they can continue their nutrition education at home.
• Add fruit and vegetable information to your school’s website.
• Hold Produce and a Movie as a special treat at the end of school.
• Have the students vote or submit ideas on the next fruit or vegetable they want to feature.
• During School Spirit Week, have the school mascot serve fruits or vegetables that match the school’s colors.
• Provide monthly FFVP menus on the website or in the school newsletter.
• Have a mystery fruit or vegetable of the week. Display the mystery item on the cafeteria line and have the students try to guess what it is. Offer samples during the FFVP service and reveal the item at the end of the day.
• Use lesson plans to incorporate fruit and veggies into curriculum, such as math, science, English, art, and music!
• Feature a local farmer’s fresh fruit or vegetable on the FFVP menu and make a sign with the farmer’s photo posted in the cafeteria.
• Invite the local newspaper to visit the school during a fruit or vegetable tasting.

Support farm to school projects by purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables from growers and farmers in your community.

Words of Encouragement

USDA and the State agency encourages:

1. Every effort to provide fresh fruits and vegetables a minimum of twice a week as repeated exposure to new foods is a key to acceptance
2. A variety of implementation strategies
3. Complementary nutrition education

Helpful Hints and Reminders

• Plan fruits and vegetables based on the breakfast and lunch menu. Look at the menu items and plan a different fruit or vegetable. If oranges are on the lunch menu, try serving yellow kiwi!
• When planning, remember the shelf life of produce. Always check the ripeness of all fresh produce when it arrives. You may have to adjust what you are serving on the planned day of service depending on the state of the produce when delivered.
• If you have limited storage space, remember that some produce items, such as apples, can be stored at room temperature for up to three weeks. Of course, bananas are always stored at room temperature.
• FFVP has no set portion size. About a half cup of fresh produce or a whole item, like an apple, is an acceptable portion size. With new produce items, you may want to start with a smaller portion. It is also acceptable to adjust portion sizes according to the age of your students.
• Low-fat dressings may be served with vegetables only. Do not serve any salad dressings or dips with fruits.
• Serve a variety of produce items. This is the opportunity to introduce students to different fruits and vegetables. When serving a new item, promote the item by sending an e-mail to teachers, announcing on the morning announcements, and/or discussing with students the day before.
• Remember that all fruit must be served in its raw form. If a vegetable is cooked, a nutrition education session must be held as part of the FFVP service. Only vegetables can be cooked and this is restricted to a maximum of once weekly.
• Pre-cut, bagged produce may be served. This is a time saver. Bring in some whole produce items as well, so that students may see what a whole carrot or a cantaloupe looks like and be able to identify these in the grocery store.
• Your students will prefer fruits due to their sweet taste. However, since a variety is encouraged, you are strongly encouraged to serve vegetables at least once a week.
• The unit count in cases of produce may vary because of availability. Check the count when ordering. Entering accurate information in the FFVP production record will help you when you order that item again.
• Receive, store, prepare, and serve fresh fruits and vegetables in accordance with the most recent FDA Food Code and HACCP guidelines.
• If you have a question about whether an item is allowable, please contact your State Agency FFVP Coordinator.

Reminder! FFVP funds cannot be used to pay for nutrition education or promotional materials.