Based on the information gathered from a “Get to know your needs” discussion with participants at the beginning of a new class at the Floyd County Library, several of the participants though because they added fruits and vegetables to their diets sometimes that they were getting the nutrients they needed for a proper diet. 

After teaching several classes on MyPlate and emphasizing the importance of not only getting at least three servings of vegetables and fruits a day, but adding orange, dark green and red colors to their selections. After hearing comments like, “Fresh fruits and vegetables are too expensive and what do I serve I them with?” The EFNEP assistant began to work on solutions by incorporating ways to add colorful fruits and vegetables in the diet during each lesson. The health benefits of color in a daily diet were emphasized.  Recipes were given to clients and food demonstrations using different fruits were prepared. Meal planning activities  including planning menus with  fruits daily and grocery shopping  tips for purchasing fruit within a budget, such as buying in season, unit pricing and comparing fresh, frozen, canned and brand name vs store brand. 

Final recalls were given at the end of the program.Results revealed that 83% of the clients were not only adding more colorful fruit but 74% were also adding color to their vegetable consumption. A overall total of 78.5 improvement.