Abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (FV), most Americans do not consume the recommended amounts. Federal nutrition education programs for adults with low income promote frozen fruits and vegetables (FFV) to improve dietary intake, save money, and prevent food waste. However, FFV purchasing, use, and attitudes among this consumer base are not well understood. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions and use of FFV among adults who have participated in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) or Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) classes. METHODS: An electronic survey was developed to assess frozen food purchases, FFV perceptions and preparation, and nutrition education and outreach. Subjects were recruited via SNAP-Ed/EFNEP programs. Descriptive analyses were conducted using SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). RESULTS: Subjects (n = 421) were mostly female (84%), without a college degree (72%), and with annual incomes <$25,000 (63%). Roughly one-third of respondents reported eating frozen foods every few days or almost every day, one-third ate them weekly, and one-third ate frozen foods a few times per month or year. Most (59%) considered using SNAP benefits to buy frozen foods very or extremely important. The top reasons for purchasing FFV were long shelf life (38%), ease of preparation (36%), and convenience (34%). When comparing FFV to fresh FV, participants considered FFV to result in less food waste but considered fresh FV to have fewer preservatives, better appearance, texture, nutrition, and flavor. CONCLUSIONS: SNAP-Ed/EFNEP-participating adults are a key consumer demographic for frozen foods, using them to save money and limit food waste. However, misconceptions persist, such as that fresh FV are more nutritious than frozen. Nutrition education programs for adults with low income could incorporate additional content on adding FFV into a healthy diet to help participants use these cost-effective foods to meet their nutrition and health goals.