Food Waste Reduction and Recovery in Maricopa County Schools Program

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education Program (SNAP-Ed) School Health team believes food is not nutritious until it is eaten. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is part of the U.S. domestic hunger safety net and provides economic benefits to eligible, low-income individuals and families for food purchases. SNAP-Ed (SNAP-Education) is the nutrition promotion and obesity-prevention component of SNAP. The goal of SNAP-Ed is to improve the likelihood that low-income individuals, including children eligible for free or reduced lunch or other child nutrition programs, will make healthy food choices and choose physically active lifestyles. According to the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, many school children eat up to half of their calories a day at school during the week. Our team of registered dietitians and health educators work within low-income Maricopa County schools to increase school meal participation and decrease food waste. A Food Waste Reduction and Recovery Program was developed by our office to address problems caused by excess plate waste.