Author: Hannah Mayrand
Planning Unit: Montgomery County CES
Major Program: Youth Fruit & Vegetable Access
Plan of Work: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Outcome: Long-Term Outcome
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends children ages 6 to 13 years should consume 1.5 to 3 cup servings of fruits and vegetables daily. In 2013, the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated 44.6 percent of Kentucky adolescents consumed more than one serving of fruit daily and 42.7 percent consumed more than one serving of vegetables. In an effort to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in elementary school students in Montgomery County, the FCS Agent partnered with the local health department and Family Resource Coordinator to offer a healthy reward to classes who showed good behavior. Instead of an unhealthy reward such as sugar sweetened beverages, students made a healthy snack which included fruit and/or vegetables that may not be common in households. Many students were given the opportunity to try foods that they may have not tried before. Students were surveyed and 68% of students stated they had not tried one or more of the foods provided in the healthy reward (kiwi, strawberries, yogurt, oranges, bananas, etc.). Over 90% of the students surveyed stated they would eat one or more of the foods tried during the program in the future and would ask their guardians to purchase these items in future grocery store purchases. Due to the popularity of the program, interest was sparked to grow a school garden. In the spring of 2018, classes were rewarded with planting and caring for the school's six raised bed gardens. Produce from the gardens will then be used throughout the summer for learning opportunities for students in how to pick, prepare, and serve the produce.
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends children ages 6 to 13 years should consume... Read More
According to the CDC, 15.6% of adolescents in Kentucky are considered overweight and 17.6% are obese... Read More
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends children ages 6 to 13 years should consume... Read More
According to the CDC, 15.6% of adolescents in Kentucky are considered overweight and 17.6% are obese... Read More
LEAP into Health: Primary Students increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption On any given day, less... Read More
According to recent statistics from theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),44.6% of Ken... Read More