The US government has pledged to boost healthy eating among the country’s poorest families.

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The move comes amid growing concern that the price of lower-calorie foods, including fruit and vegetables, is putting a healthier diet out of the reach of many American families.


Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner said the US government would include fruits, vegetables and whole grains in the food packages it gives low-income families.


Under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the US government said it provides “nutritious supplemental foods” to 8m women, infants and children under the age of five.


“The new food packages are designed to improve the nutrition and health of our nation’s low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children with nutrition education, and more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to greatly improve dietary quality,” Conner said.

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As reported on just-food yesterday (6 December), a University of Washington study has claimed the cost of buying healthier, low-calorie foods such as fruits and vegetables in the US is rising at an “unacceptable” rate.


Price points for such foods have spiked by nearly 20% in two years putting a healthier diet out of reach for many Americans, the study claimed.


Food prices that were surveyed by university researchers from 2004 to 2006 also showed that prices for calorie-laden foods high in sugar and fat remained the same or even fell.


The general rate of food price inflation was 5% during that period.


Dr Adam Drewnowski, director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington, said: “We are an overfed but undernourished nation. That the cost of healthful foods is outpacing inflation is a major problem.”