Research is clear that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help protect against several chronic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Nationwide, it is estimated that only 12.2% of adult meet the recommended amounts of fruits each day and only 9.3% meet recommendations for vegetables (CDC, 2018). Kentucky falls even further below the national averages with only 8.0% of adults meeting daily recommendations for fruits and 6.3% meeting recommendations for vegetables (CDC, 2018).

In response to these concerning statistics and the fact that more individuals were preparing meals at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension creatively used the Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud (PIUKP) program to encourage the consumption of locally produced fruits and vegetables across Kentucky. PIUKP is a partnership between the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, and the University of Kentucky Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition. Typically, PIUKP relies on providing consumers with printed recipe cards, recipe demonstrations, and recipe sampling opportunities at in-person programming promoting locally grown fruits and vegetables. However, during the 2020-2021 year that overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened restrictions on in-person programming, FCS Extension implemented PIUKP programming in a virtual format with newly printed resources distributed to the 120 counties.

PIUKP Meal Plans were developed by faculty and undergraduate students in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition. The meal plans consist of three existing PIUKP recipes grouped according to similar ingredients and seasonality of the specialty crop featured. Included in each meal plan is a compiled grocery list, pantry staples, and kitchen equipment required to prepare the three selected recipes. In addition, the meal plans feature teaching tips to emphasize cost savings and food safety and provide suggested strategies for including children and youth in the kitchen. One meal plan was developed for each of the seasons – summer, fall, winter, and spring – for a total of 4 different meal plans shared with each Kentucky county for distribution to clientele.

1. Summer – Tomatoes & Peppers – Baked Broccoli Frittata, Eggplant Parmesan Rollatini, Grilled Pepper and Portabella Mushroom Sandwich
2. Fall – Apples & Honey – Pumpkin Apple Muffins, Sweet and Savory Brussels Sprouts, Fall Harvest Salad
3. Winter – Brussels Sprouts & Cabbage – Chicken and Brussels Sprouts One Pan Meal, Brussels Sprouts Gratin, Cabbage Noodle Casserole
4. Spring – Kale & Strawberries – Kale and Potato Soup, Triple Berry Crisp, Super Crunchy Salad

During each of the seasons, except for spring, 4 Zoom-based webinars were hosted and streamed on the UK FCS Extension Facebook page. The first webinar in the series was an overview of the meal plan itself and instructions on how individuals could receive a meal plan from their county Extension office led by an Extension Specialist for Nutrition and Health. The following 3 webinars were recipe demonstrations of the 3 recipes included in the seasonal meal plan hosted by FCS Agents across the state who currently serve on the PIUKP Agent Steering Committee. Each of these webinars focused on recipe preparation, benefits of purchasing specialty crops locally year-round, and the nutritional benefits of increasing fruits and vegetables in the diet.

During the summer meal plan webinar series, each of the 4 webinars averaged 115 live viewers across Zoom and Facebook Live. The Facebook videos archived on the UK FCS Extension page, on average, reached 2,792 individuals. The follow-up Facebook posts directing individuals to the summer meal plan content previously recorded or to the PIUKP webpage with recipes had an average reach of 14,120 individuals.

For the fall meal plan webinar series, each of the 4 webinars averaged 84 live viewers across Zoom and Facebook Live. The Facebook videos archived on the UK FCS Extension page, on average, reached 2,992 individuals. The follow-up Facebook posts directing individuals to the fall meal plan content previously recorded or to the PIUKP webpage with recipes had an average reach of 11,854 individuals.

For the winter meal plan webinar series, each of the 4 webinars averaged 65 live viewers across Zoom and Facebook Live. The Facebook videos archived on the UK FCS Extension page, on average, reached 2,265 individuals. This series did not include follow-up posts for each of the webinar videos – rather a follow-up post promoting the entire webinar series which reached 1,081 individuals.

FCS agents were encouraged to implement their own virtual PIUKP programming using the spring-focused meal plans, as restrictions were lifted across the state for Extension programming locally. This novel approach to PIUKP allowed FCS Extension to provide recipes, demonstrations, and helpful information for meal preparation in a virtual format featuring the PIUKP program. In addition to the current reach of these webinars, the videos may be used for future programming as a resource or reference tool.