[Fruitsandveggies] Oregon Fruit and Vegetable Program: December News

[Haley C SMITH]

In this email
Announcements
Resources
Research
Announcements
New Eat Well Website Launched
The Oregon Public Health Division’s Fruits and Vegetables Program now has a website! Visit http://www.healthoregon.org/eatwell to find resources, read the latest news and discover ways to promote fruits and veggies wherever you are. We will continue to add new content to the site over the next few months so check back often.
 
National Nutrition Month
National Nutrition Month in March is just around the corner and its time to start thinking about how to get the Fruits and Veggies-More Mattersä message out all month long! The theme this year is Get Smart: Fruits and Veggies-More Matters and will focus on reaching low-income moms. If you are interested in planning or participating in an event or campaign in your area during National Nutrition Month, please contact Haley Smith at 971-673-1028 or haley.c.smith at state.or.us. Haley will make sure you have all the latest information and will help you get connected with others who are planning events in your area.
 
2007 Fruits and Veggies-More Matters Challenge Winners  
Congratulations to Angelica Canche of Portland, OR! Her tasty recipe for Chicken Salad Tacos was the Oregon winner of the 2007 National Fruits and Veggies-More Matters Challenge. Winners came up with the most original, practical and creative ways of getting their families to eat more fruits and veggies. Find Angelica’s recipe as well as more recipes and tips from winners at
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=421.
 
Resources
Have a Healthy Holiday Party
Your workplace holiday party or potluck is a great opportunity to promote fruits and veggies. Encourage others to bring healthy options as well. Use this checklist of healthy potluck suggestions (attached) as a guide.
 
Research
Healthy Changes to School Menus Do Not Increase Costs or Reduce Lunch Sales, Study Suggests
Nov 26, 2007
A study in the December issue of the Review of Agricultural Economics suggests that schools that change their menus to offer more nutritious foods in the cafeteria do not experience a drop in lunch sales or an increase in food costs, the Associated Press reports. Researchers from the University of Minnesota analyzed five years of data from 330 Minnesota public school districts on their compliance with federal standards for calories, nutrients and fat in school lunches. They found that, contrary to popular belief, schools serving the healthiest lunches did not see a decline in demand compared with schools selling less nutritious meals. The study also found that using nutritious foods, such as fruits and vegetables, which cost less than processed foods, offset staff training and kitchen upgrade costs. To encourage schools to implement nutritional improvements, the researchers recommend enacting tighter restrictions on school lunch program budgets to limit indirect costs, such as electricity and janitorial services. (Karnowski, AP/Yahoo! News, 11/25/07; Wagner et al., Review of Agricultural Economics, December 2007 [subscription required]).  


Haley Smith, MS
Fruit and Veggie Specialist
Physical Activity Nutrition and Obesity Program
Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention
Department of Human Services
Oregon Health Services
800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 730
Portland, OR 97232-2162
Email: haley.c.smith at state.or.us
Phone: (971) 673-1028
Fax: (971) 673-0994
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