<P> New York City provides over 40,000 meals a day to children through the SchoolFoods program . Most of the fruit served in New York City Department of Education - operated public and charter schools is local . A project to bring New York State apples to New York City school cafeterias has also increased fruit consumption among school children . As of 2007, policy work was focused on the task of bringing more local food to school lunches to give children healthy meals while supporting agriculture in the region . However, there is no plan to expand the program as of 2015 . </P> <P> The NYCDOE also has a summer - meals program operated by SchoolFoods, which offers free lunches to children under 18 . These summer lunches are distributed at over 1,100 parks, pools, libraries, schools, and shelters every year . Over 7 million lunches were distributed in summer 2012 . </P> <P> New York City faces a supermarket shortage in several neighborhoods that is closely linked to health epidemics . At the request of the Mayor's office, the Department of City Planning studied supermarket need in the city . As a result, in April 2008, the Department found a widespread shortage of supermarkets, identifying several "food deserts ." It identified food deserts as a key factor in why over 700,000 people in New York City had diabetes, over 1.1 million New Yorkers were obese, and another 2 million were overweight . </P> <P> Health problems are especially prevalent in minority communities . For instance, supermarkets in predominately - minority Harlem are 30 percent less common than on the predominately - white Upper East Side; while 20 percent of Upper East Side bodegas carried leafy green vegetables, only 3 percent of those in Harlem did so . Three million New Yorkers live in neighborhoods with high need for grocery stores and supermarkets, such as Harlem and Washington Heights in Manhattan; Bushwick, East New York, and Sunset Park in Brooklyn; Corona, Jamaica, and Far Rockaway in Queens; the South Bronx, Williamsbridge, Wakefield, and Pelham Parkway in the Bronx; and St. George and Stapleton in Staten Island show the greatest need for full - line supermarkets . </P>

Where does the food sold in new york city come from