TABLE 1—

Key Health Department Initiatives to Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption—New York City, 2005 to Present

Level and Initiative	Year(s)	Description	Key Results and Achievements
Citywide: Health Bucks	2005–present	Increased affordability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets citywide via electronic benefit transfer (EBT), for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program beneficiaries (SNAP), and through community-based organizations (CBOs)	Evaluation results demonstrated that farmers’ markets offering Health Bucks to SNAP recipients averaged higher daily EBT sales than markets without the incentives (P < .001)
Neighborhood
Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH)	2009–present	Provided zoning and financial incentives to promote the establishment and retention of neighborhood grocery stores in underserved communities across New York City’s 5 boroughs	Supported the introduction of 11 new supermarkets and the renovation of 7 older supermarkets
Healthy Bodegas	2005–2011	Worked with shop owners to improve fruit and vegetable quality and availability in bodegas	Evaluation findings showed that, on average, participating shop owners made 4 health-promoting changes to their business, including increasing fruit and vegetable offerings
Green Carts	2008–present	Introduced new fruit and vegetable carts to areas with low fruit and vegetable intake	Introduced nearly 500 Green Carts, 100 of which featured EBT
			Fostered microenterprise and created jobs
			The increased number of Green Carts in individual neighborhoods has been linked to increased availability of fruits and vegetables in existing food retailers in those neighborhoods
Organization
New York City Food Standards	2008	Established nutrition standards for all foods purchased and served by city agencies	Increased the number of required servings of fruits and vegetables at meals served by city agencies
Healthy High Schools	2010–2012	Worked with high schools to promote healthy and nonfood fundraisers instead of food fundraisers high in fat and sugar (e.g., candy and bake sales)	Delivered technical assistance to 50 New York City high schools
			Provided $1000 minigrants to 18 high schools to implement semester-long efforts to improve the school food environment
			Through a collaboration with GrowNYC, a local nonprofit, brought locally grown produce for use in high school fundraisers
Eat Well, Play Hard	2008–present	Developed a toolkit and curriculum and conducted training for teachers of young children in child care centers to promote healthy eating and physical activity	Distributed 145 toolkits
			Department of Health and Mental Hygiene dietitians conducted 33 trainings in 189 child care centers for a total of 887 staff
Growing Healthy Children	2009–present	Developed an activity-based toolkit and curriculum as a self-directed train-the-trainer program for teachers of young children to deliver lessons to caregivers and children in centers where Eat Well, Play Hard is implemented	680 staff trained in 188 child care centers that are enrolled in Eat Well, Play Hard
Interpersonal
Shop Healthy	2013–present	Supported local organizations in District Public Health Office neighborhoods that want to improve availability of fruits and vegetables	Worked with 86 CBOs to implement Shop Healthy initiatives
Adopt a Shop!	2013–present	Developed toolkit for consumers to work with neighborhood bodegas and supermarkets to improve healthy food availability	Distributed more than 330 toolkits
Neighborhood walking groups	2012–present	Conducted group walking tours to familiarize residents with locations of farmers’ markets and Green Carts in their neighborhood	In 2012, conducted 56 walking tours to 36 markets for a total of 514 participants
			In 2013, conducted 57 walking tours to 37 markets for a total of 552 participants
Stellar Farmers’ Markets	2009–present	Offered cooking classes using seasonal fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets in high-need neighborhoods to influence preferences, encourage culture change, and develop cooking skills	Classes conducted at 18 markets in 4 boroughs (Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens)
			Evaluation findings demonstrated that shoppers who participated in 2 or more classes consumed almost one half cup more of fruits and vegetables daily compared with shoppers who participated in 0 or 1 class (P < .001).
Come See What’s Cookin’ Kids!	2013–present	Offered workshops and cooking classes for children at farmers’ markets in high-need neighborhoods to raise interest in seasonal produce	Reached 9000 children in its first season
Individual: education and Information	2005–present	One-to-one nutrition education delivered through programs cited previously and on the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Web site (http://www.nyc.gov/doh)	Health Bulletins
			Curricula
			Recipes
			Newsletters
			Evaluation reports, such as Epi Data Briefs and Data Tables