“Win-Win” healthy food program passes first hurdle 

More help could be coming to Iowans who need assistance to afford healthy foods.

Iowa senators Wednesday discussed a bill to invest $1 million for 2025-2026 in the Double Up Food Bucks program for Iowa families that receive SNAP benefits. Sens. Sarah Trone Garriott (D-West Des Moines), Mark Lofgren (R-Muscatine) and Mike Klimesh (R-Spillville) agreed to pass the bill through the subcommittee.

Double Up Food Bucks is an Iowa Healthiest State Initiative program that gives families up to $15 a day in matching funds for buying fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets, grocery stores, and other participating locations.

Normally, the program is funded through grants and private funds. With $1 million from the state, the program would be able to expand to other areas of the state and to more locations.

Having the state invest money in the program is one of the key recommendations made by the Iowa Hunger Coalition, an anti-hunger organization trying to tackle Iowa’s hunger crisis.

In the packed room, no one spoke against the bill. Instead, volunteers from anti-hunger organizations, people representing farmers, and health care representatives unanimously said they wanted to see the bill passed as a way to take care of Iowa kids and to make Iowan’s lives better.

“The executive director for the Food Bank of Siouxland emailed me about this program and said that all of the Fareways in Sioux City dropped the Double Up Food Bucks because they did not see the funding and the support behind it. So there’s a lot of folks in northwest Iowa that don’t have this opportunity,” said Phil Jeneary with the Iowa Food Bank Association.

Tiffany Welch, a volunteer with Save the Children Network said the investment will give families the flexibility to introduce their kids to healthy food and to not worry if kids don’t like it. She said many families she helps are torn about taking the risk of buying healthy food their kids might not like.

“Healthy foods are good for you and nutritionally dense foods are good for you, but if your kids aren’t going to eat them, it’s a waste of money,” she said. “One of the things that Double Up Food Bucks has helped them with, and what I’ve helped them access, is that you can try new things. If it takes a few times, it’s okay.”

Food insecurity and higher demands at Iowa food banks have been concerns in Iowa for years, but legislation to address the issue have repeatedly failed because of lack of Republican support.

This time, two Republicans said they were on board, citing the benefits to Iowa farmers and the importance of people having healthy food.

“We haven’t had any movement on this in the Senate before,” Trone Garriott said. “There’s a real opportunity this year. This a program that is really effective, has proven results, makes a big impact for our Iowa neighbors and for a lot of small-scale farmers. So it’s a win-win.”