Tag Archives: fruits and vegetables

Real Food Grows

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Consumers are easily fooled by processed foods disguised as healthy food. It might a big red strawberry on the front of a box of toaster pastries. Or it might be the name of the food itself, as in banana nut oat bran muffins.

They won’t be fooled if they remember that real food grows. Is it something that grew into what it is today? Or has it been processed with ingredients added to create a new kind of food? 

Our Real Food Grows materials get this point across beautifully. Here are some activities to go along with them:

  • Print out a list of some real foods and processed foods in random order. Have participants circle all the real foods. Then discuss why they are real and why the others are not. For a super-quick way to do this activity, use our Real Food Grows bookmarks, which have a list of items on the back.
  • Pass out a variety of real foods and processed food packages. Have each participant say whether their food grows or not. Ask them to tell what ingredients are in their item. For an apple, the ingredient will just be an apple. For an apple fritter, the list will obviously be longer. You can also ask a volunteer to be the scribe who writes the ingredients on a whiteboard or flip chart. They’ll quickly get tired of writing out the long list of ingredients in processed foods and everyone will get the point!
  • Ask questions to get a discussion going about foods disguised to be healthy… Breakfast cereals that contain fruit or nuts? Fruit and grain bars? Banana nut muffins? Oat bran pretzels? Strawberry frozen yogurt bars? Veggie straws or crisps?

It’s so simple, but we need to be reminded every day that Real Food Grows!

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DIY Photo Booth

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Registered dietitians talk a lot about fruits and vegetables. Give yourself a break from all that talking with our Colors of Health theme. Beautiful photographs of 16 fruits and veggies communicate the healthy eating message without words.

Our Color Your World With Food banner makes the perfect background for a photo booth. The simplest way to do this is to have people pose for a selfie next to the banner. Or you could make it more fun with some props. We suggest our Fruit and Vegetable Mask and Fruit and Vegetable Shaped Balloons. Fruit- and vegetable-shaped plush toys or pillows would also be good.

If you use props, people won’t be able to take their own selfies. They can hand you their phone and let you take their picture. Or you can use an iPad or your own camera, then send the pictures by email or text message with instructions to tag your organization or hashtags. You could also upload them to your Facebook page (you may need to have people sign a simple release form). This could be a great way to get more followers! People can find their picture, tag themselves, and share it with their friends.

The photo booth would go over well at a health fair. You could also set it up in a cafeteria or lobby area. This summer, it would be neat to take it on the road to a summer meal program site. Kids love to get their pictures!

And if you want to give them a little more, you can always give away our Color Your World With Food bookmarks or stickers.

We can also design any banner you can use in a DIY photo booth – send us a request for quote!

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Healthier choices are as easy as 1-2-3

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Our Healthier Choices 123 materials provide a simple way to encourage people to make healthy lifestyle changes. The three step concept is perfect for all audiences, from busy, budget-conscious adults to short-attention-span kids.

Set up a health fair or table display with the Healthier Choices 123 poster or banner as the focal point. Then add an activity to go along with each step. Here are some ideas:

Step 1 – Drink water instead of sugary drinks.  

  • Fill an empty 20oz soda bottle with 16 teaspoons of sugar. Compare that to a bottle of water that has zero teaspoons of sugar.
  • Energy drinks, teas, and sports drinks can have as much sugar as soda. Display bottles and cans of these beverages so people can check the grams of sugar per serving.
  • Choose alternatives: water (add fruit or herbs) or unsweetened tea. Have a pitcher of ice water, small cups, and some cut up fruit for people to add.
  • Replacing one can of soda per day with water saves more than 50,000 calories in a year. Think of the money you’ll also save (tap water is free!).

Step 2 – Choose activity instead of screens.

  • How many more calories do you burn by moving instead of sitting? At least twice as many!
  • Replacing 30 minutes of screen time with 30 minutes of brisk walking will help you burn an extra 40,000+ calories per year.
  • Write different 10-minute activities on small pieces of paper or index cards (walk the dog, do laundry, vacuum, shoot baskets, etc). Fold them and put them in a large bowl or jar. Let each person take out three. When they do all three in a day, they’ll have moved for 30 minutes.

Step 3 – Choose fruits and veggies instead of sugary or fried foods.

  • Fruits and vegetables have fewer calories but more nutrients compared to foods like chips, French fries, and cookies.
  • Replacing a bag of chips with an apple will save you 25,550 calories per year.
  • Use food models, pictures, or real food to compare calories in fruit- and vegetable-rich meals vs higher fat choices. For example, you could show two meal choices at McDonald’s: a southwest grilled chicken salad (350 calories) vs a double cheeseburger & medium fries (770 calories).

As a take-home message, set out blank index cards and colorful markers. Ask people to write or draw the healthier choice they plan to make for each step. Tell them to keep the card in their wallet or on their refrigerator – wherever it will remind them of the changes they want to make.

Healthier Choices 123 Banner Stand 24" X 62" - Health Fair Banner Featuring Choose MyPlate 24" X 62" - Nutrition Education Store

Healthier Choices 123 Banner Stand 24" X 67" - Health Fair Banner Featuring Choose MyPlate 24" X 67"

$125.00 $135.00
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Healthier Choices 123 Health Fair Wellness Fair Banner 48" X 36" - Nutrition Education Store

Healthier Choices 123 Health Fair Wellness Fair Banner 48" X 36"

$88.00 $110.00
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Healthier Choices 123 Poster 18X 24 Laminated - Health Poster - Nutrition Education Store

Healthier Choices 123 Poster 18X 24 Laminated - Health Poster

$22.75 $25.50
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MyPlate Handout Tearpad - Nutrition Education Store

MyPlate Handout Tearpad

$42.00 $46.00
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Click here to get 15% off this collection for the first week of April 2019.

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Local Food Lesson With Handout Download and Reference Links

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Local food is becoming an important trend in the U.S. The USDA estimates that over $8 billion dollars worth of local foods are produced and sold in the US. (https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Newsroom/2016/12_20_16.php)

This trend is being shaped by the Millenial generation who are becoming sustainable farmers after leaving high-tech jobs and this same generation also wants to buy these foods.

After shopping at many local farmer’s markets and grocery stores that excel in local food sales we feel it is a very good trend.

Whole Foods has a great article about this trend here:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/local

Basically they point out that the bio-diversity of food is preserved. Land use remains diverse. Food quality remains much higher and local dollars boost the local economy.

When you see the quality of local produce as well as some of the lower prices you will have to agree. By promoting this type of food in nutrition education you can help consumers focus on adding more fruits and vegetables to their diet.

It is really fun to find many types of swiss chard from green to rainbow. Or to explore many types of beets, kale, apples, tomatoes, and lettuce. The feeling one gets while walking through these markets is one of abundance and excitement. Instead of giving up cake and all kinds of packaged snacks you are getting all kinds of new fruits and vegetables to try in your kitchen. Plus walking through the markets is great exercise.

Check out our recent photos and brand new theme titled, “Bring the Farm to the Table”

Here is a handout about the benefits of Local Foods and how to purchase them.

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Freedom from Chronic Disease

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Bonus Alert: This post contains a free handout!

What do healthful eating and the Statue of Liberty have in common? You may be surprised by the answer.

When I went to see the Statue of Liberty, I was struck by her beauty. To my surprise, her natural green patina reminded me of kale. Kale is beautiful too, but I certainly didn’t expect it to pop into my head when I was looking at the Statue of Liberty.

But the more I looked, the more the statue reminded me of the colors and textures of fruits and vegetables.

I pictured the statue dressed in kale, holding a fiery fruit and veggie torch. In that moment, I knew I had to use that imagery in a poster. Both the statue and the vegetables represent freedom to me. In the statue’s case, it is the freedom from tyranny, and, in the food’s case, the fresh fruits and vegetables offer freedom from chronic disease.

Fruit, Vegetables, and Freedom from Chronic Disease

According to MyPlate, the USDA’s guide to healthful and balanced eating, “Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke. Eating a diet rich in some vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers. Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as some vegetables and fruits, may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.”

As always, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is best, in order to take advantage of their amazing health benefits. Blueberries, for example, are loaded with anthocyanins, which have been shown to slow and even reverse age-related declines in brain function, as well as cognitive and motor performance. Other compounds in blueberries may delay the effects of vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Dark leafy greens, on the other hand, contain different compounds with other health benefits. They offer excellent supplies of vitamins A, C, and K, for example, and it is these vitamins that protect your bones, decrease inflammation, support cell growth and development, protect vision, support your circulatory system, and improve immune function. The Agricultural Research Service asserts that “Because of their high content of antioxidants, green leafy vegetables may be one of the best cancer-preventing foods. Studies have shown that eating 2 to 3 servings of green leafy vegetables per week may lower the risk of stomach, breast and skin cancer.”

With their disease-fighting compounds and health-boosting effects, fresh fruits and vegetables may offer the very thing that so many people truly want: freedom from chronic disease.

Making the Poster

After I had the idea to make a fruit and vegetable Statue of Liberty, I raced to my artist to see what he could put together. His creative take on the fresh foods that offer freedom from chronic disease completely wowed me, and I immediately put our research team to work. They crafted a fantastic handout that outlines just how vital fruits and vegetables are in the fight against chronic disease. Want to see it for yourself? The handout will be a free accompaniment to the poster.

After that, all I had to do was put the poster in the store.

Once it was up, I was blown away by the customer response! Since so many people asked how I had thought up the idea to combine two ways of looking at freedom, I decided to write this post. I hope you enjoyed it. If you’re looking for more about the Statue of Liberty, check out the amazing torch webcams or read through the fascinating story of the Statue of Liberty’s past.

By Judy Doherty, PC II and Founder of Food and Health Communications

Get your own copy of the Freedom from Chronic Disease poster today! And check out the latest and greatest additions to the Nutrition Education Store…

Freedom from Chronic Disease Poster

Healthful Fast Food Choices Brochure

Healthier Choices 1-2-3 Poster

Looking for that free handout? Look no further! Here’s your guide to the health benefits of fruits and vegetables, which offer freedom from chronic disease. Download your copy today!

Freedom Handout

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