Produce for Better Health Foundation and CDC Use 'Back-to-School' Season as Opportunity to Encourage Increased Fruit & Vegetable Consumption

29/08/07 With 90 percent of Americans failing to meet their daily recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption, the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have teamed to make fruits and veggies top-of-mind for parents and children during the month of September as families pack their lunch bags and head back to school.

While research shows that Americans are aware of the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, most people need to double the amount they now consume to meet the latest dietary guidelines for Americans. Research also has shown that people who consume generous amounts of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases. In order to encourage increased fruit and vegetable intake throughout the year, PBH and CDC are using back-to-school season as an opportunity to open dialogue with children and parents.

"Reaching children and their parents is critical if we are going to change the way people think about what they eat," said Dr. William Dietz, Director of CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. "With obesity becoming a growing problem for children and adults alike, we need to instill healthy eating habits early on."

To help professionals encourage children and parents to explore new tastes with recipes from cuisines around the world, CDC has developed a kit of ideas and resources, "Explore the World with Fruits & Vegetables." The kit includes a guide for professionals with ideas that fit within existing curricula and print materials to use in schools and other child-focused organizations. These materials can be found at http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov.

"Many people know the facts, but actually changing behavior is not easy," Dietz said, pointing to recent news stories describing the limitations of education in changing health habits. "Success will involve combining education with a number of initiatives including improved access to healthy food in neighborhoods; food industry efforts to provide healthy options; increased availability of fruits and vegetables in worksites, hospitals, and other community organizations; and media messages and marketing to counter-balance the focus on less nutritious options. All this together should lead to sweeping changes in healthy eating habits."

In addition to back-to-school season, September also marks the first ever National Fruits & Veggies -- More Matters Month, and to inspire busy parents as they plan their dinner menus this fall, PBH and The Culinary Institute of America announced the winners of the Fruits & Veggies -- More Matters Challenge, issued in March. One of two Grand Prizes was awarded to Hadiza Buge of Atlanta, Georgia, for developing a Teriyaki chicken recipe which included seven fruits and vegetables. She explains that she is using more fruits and vegetables in her meals, as a healthy role model for her oldest niece. Also winning a Grand Prize was working mother Erika Harris, of Arlington, Texas, for her strategy of serving fruit and vegetable-filled meals under the kitchen table, pretending to be eating camp food beneath a tent. "I work full time and I study," explains Erika Harris. "I need quick, fun, interesting ways to help my young son eat more fruits and vegetables!" The Grand Prize winners are set to receive a Family Get Away vacation at The Culinary Institute of America's premier cooking schools in St. Helena, California, and Hyde Park, New York.

Five first-place prizes were awarded for other recipes and tips: the use of a veggie dipping plate, "fruit with TV" rules, vegetable garden growing, pureed vegetable soups, and a healthy fruit salad. In all, contestants from 26 states won prizes, including gift cards to purchase fruits and vegetables.

"We are excited by the creativity of the parents who took part in this first-ever competition," said Elizabeth Pivonka, PBH President and CEO. "We hope they will inspire other parents to develop innovative ideas of their own for adding more fruits and veggies to their family's diet." The winning recipes and tips, as well as recipes and tips from PBH and the CIA, are available on http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org.

Fruits & Veggies -- More Matters Month is a project of Fruits & Veggies -- More Matters, a national public health initiative launched in March by PBH and CDC in cooperation with The Culinary Institute of America and other partners, including the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The goal of the campaign is to encourage Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables -- fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice. It follows the former 5 A Day for Better Health campaign.

Currently, the Fruits & Veggies -- More Matters initiative is promoted on the packaging of 170 produce companies, including Sun Maid, Stemilt, Grimmway, Sunkist, and Glad. In addition, more than 23,000 supermarkets have signed up to promote the new initiative. Produce industry partners planning September initiatives include Hidden Valley Ranch, Welch's, and Dole.