Fruit and vegetables are a core component of nutritious eating patterns that fuel lifelong growth and health. However, an analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health from 2021 indicated nearly half of children aged 1 – 5 years in Kentucky do not eat at least one fruit and/or one vegetable daily. Ensuring children have access to affordable, nutritious food and reducing youth obesity through nutrition education remain within the top 15 priority issues identified through the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Community Needs Assessment process.  

In response to this identified need and priority in communities across Kentucky, Dr. Courtney Luecking, Extension Specialist for Nutrition and Health worked with fellow Extension Specialists Mindy McCulley and Katherine Jury to create Eating Over the Rainbow - a marketing campaign to encourage consumption of at least one fruit and veggie each day so that children can explore, grow strong, learn, and play.  

The campaign utilized a multimodal communication approach that included social media posts, podcasts, television spots, health bulletins, information releases useful for local newspapers and newsletters, and reinforcement materials. Reinforcement materials were designed primarily for children and included fruit and vegetable BINGO cards, coloring pages, and placemats that served a dual purpose for planning produce consumption. Also, caregivers were provided tip sheets for serving and encouraging consumption of fruit and vegetables and a local resource guide for accessing them in the community. Messaging and materials were shared through state and local Family & Consumer Sciences outlets.  

The campaign took place in August 2023. It intentionally aligned with Kids Eat Right Month® and National Farmers Market Week to encourage development of different behaviors when Kentucky Proud produce is plentiful and most flavorful. Family & Consumer Sciences agents were encouraged to work with community partners as relevant for sharing campaign messages and materials. Several agents indicated working with their farmers market as a place for sharing information. While the campaign focused on caregivers of children aged five years and younger, families with children of any age were encouraged to engage with messages and materials.  

In total, the campaign reached 221,923 people. This includes 32,948 direct contacts with local consumers and 188,975 indirect contacts through newsletters, health bulletins, social media posts, podcasts, and television spots. Of those who completed surveys, 88% indicated their children ate more fruit and 75% indicated children ate more vegetables than usual during the campaign. Eighty-eight percent also indicated that they tried an unfamiliar fruit or vegetable during the campaign. The combination of the design of the campaign, its reach throughout the community, and the sustainability of the messaging and materials can continue to positively shape norms around consumption of fruit and vegetables among young children in Kentucky.