Fruits and Veggies: More Matters

August 20, 2009 - September is back-to-school time and it’s also Fruits and Veggies – More Matters™ Month. This campaign presents a great opportunity to teach children that good nutrition is essential to helping them stay alert and learn better in the classroom as they return to school. 

Throughout the month of September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public and private organizations promote the need to eat fruits and vegetables for better health. According to the CDC, Fruits & Veggies — More Matters™ is a dynamic health initiative that consumers will see in stores, online, at home and on packaging. It replaces the existing 5 A Day awareness program and is intended to leverage the 5 A Day heritage and success to further inspire and support consumers to eat more fruits and vegetables, showcasing the combination of great taste, nutrition, abundant variety, and different product forms (fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice). It also is supposed to build upon the body of science that indicates that increased daily consumption of fruits and vegetables may help prevent many chronic diseases.

To help celebrate, the CDC has a webpage called “Eat a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables Every Day”that includes information on the benefits of eating produce; a list of fruits and vegetables for each month of the year; guidelines on what counts as a cup of fruits and vegetables; tips and recipes; interactive tools; publications; as well as a list of partner organizations. In addition, printed materials for the campaign are available through the Produce for Better Health Foundation website. 

Besides celebrating such events, another way schools can promote better nutrition and consumption of healthier foods is by increasing kids’ participation in school meal programs. Findings from two studies recently published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) show that participating in school meal programs renders positive nutritional outcomes for children.  “The School Breakfast Program: Participation and Impacts,” revealed, for instance, that children with access to the School Breakfast Program are more likely to eat breakfast in the morning and that program access may enhance food security among families who experience food insecurity.  “School Meal Program Participation and Its Association with Dietary Patterns and Childhood Obesity,” shows that National School Lunch Program participants had lower intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and a lower percentage of calories than did nonparticipants.  

For more information on the importance of good nutrition for students, request our “Healthy Eating 101” Packet.

Source: CDC Webpage “Eat a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables Every Day;” “School Meal Program Participation and Its Association with Dietary Patterns and Childhood Obesity,” USDA, July 2009; and “The School Breakfast Program: Participation and Impacts,” USDA, July 2009.