Choosing More Fruits and Vegetables 

In Pulaski County, only 7.4% of adults consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day between 2013-2015. (Building Strong Families in Pulaski County 2018). Consuming enough fruits and vegetables is part of an overall healthy diet.  This helps reduce the risk of many chronic diseases including; cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity. In order to address the importance of fruits and vegetables in our diet, a seven-session curriculum, Healthy Choices for Every Body program was conducted by the Pulaski County SNAP-Ed (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) assistant for SNAP eligible individuals. 

The Nutrition Education Program assistant conducted multiple programs to 39 limited resource families. Using the University of Kentucky Nutrition Education Curriculum and USDA resources, programs were offered at various locations including Somerset Housing Authority and Recovery Centers. The classes focused on using My Plate as an eating guide with a strong emphasis on consuming more fruits and vegetables, food safety, food resource management, food preparation, making healthy food choices and physical activity. During the program, visuals and hands-on activities were used to reinforce the health benefits of eating different colors of fruits and vegetables along with a cooking demonstration of a healthy recipe and participant tasting. Participants learned how to prepare a daily menu incorporating fruits and vegetables in each meal along with tips for purchasing fruits and vegetables within a budget.

Thirty-nine adults, men and women, ranging from ages early twenties to mid-fifties, completed the program.   As a result of this program significant behavior changes occurred in the diet quality of participants: 72% made a positive change in their nutrition by eating fruit more often each day, with over half (67%) eating vegetables more often each day. Over three fourths (79%) ate more red and orange vegetables while 74% ate more dark green vegetables each week. After completing the program, one participant shared, “This is delicious, I am going to prepare this recipe for my family when I go back home”.