nutrition

On Jan. 19, 2023, USDA participated in the first of seven regional summits focused on strengthening the intersections between healthcare and nutrition security hosted by ProMedica and The Root Cause Coalition at The Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Soon, many SNAP households will experience a change to their benefit amounts. That’s because the temporary pandemic-related boost to SNAP benefits, known as emergency allotments (EA), is coming to an end.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, Reach and Resiliency – Round 1 grants are making an impact in communities across the nation. At the Food Bank of Lincoln, we have been able to leverage Reach and Resiliency sub-grant funding awarded by our Nebraska TEFAP agency to identify underserved areas and to implement strategies to increase TEFAP access in those areas. In some cases, the strategies were as simple as increasing the frequency of deliveries to specific communities to ensure that existing TEFAP resources were being equitably distributed.

From the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration, Secretary Vilsack has challenged our team to rethink USDA initiatives from an indigenous perspective. One of the most important things we do at USDA is publish the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) with our partners at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These evidence-based nutrition guidelines are informed by recommendations from a committee of nutrition science experts and updated every five years.

Last month, 350 SNAP Employment and Training, or E&T, state agencies and other partners from across the country gathered for the 2022 SNAP E&T National Forum in Alexandria, VA. Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, Stacy Dean, opened the conference with an important reminder, sharing:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are excited to announce the members of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee! The Committee will review the current body of nutrition science and make recommendations to help guide HHS and USDA as they develop the 10th edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Prior to becoming the Food and Nutrition Service Administrator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, I spent many years with USDA working in the child nutrition space. I quickly became passionate about my work, recognizing that school meals are critical to children’s success in school and their overall health and well-being. It motivated me then and even more now in my role as Administrator. In this role, I am committed to doing everything possible to ensure children get nutritious meals on a consistent basis, so they can do better in school and support the development of healthy eating habits which sets them up for success!

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Mountain Plains Region is in year three of a collaborative partnership with the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to facilitate The Food and Mood Project.

WIC is a powerful public health program, serving nearly half of all babies born in the country. To help keep program costs manageable, Congress requires WIC state agencies to contract with an infant formula manufacturer to provide discounted formula for purchase with WIC benefits. The state agencies solicit bids from manufacturers and award a contract to the one that offers the most cost-effective bid. This process helps save taxpayers an estimated $1.7 billion per year on formula provided through WIC and allow the program to continue to make WIC benefits available to all eligible mothers, infants, and young children.

Top Box Foods is not a grocery store, farmers market, or food bank. Top Box Foods is a community-driven non-profit, founded in Chicago in 2012, that creates access to healthy and affordable food for the communities they serve. Customers place orders online or via phone for nutritious food which is offered at prices up to 40% lower than grocery stores. Prior to March 2020, Top Box Foods shoppers would pick up their orders at community distribution sites such as churches. However, when the pandemic hit, Top Box Foods replaced the pick-up model with their free home delivery program. Top Box Foods accepts SNAP benefits as payment for orders, making it an essential resource for households looking to make the most of their SNAP dollars to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and more.