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Health Department and Lowe’s Foods Join in National Nutrition Initiative

While research indicates that more than 50 percent of adult consumers know they need to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, more than 90 percent of Americans do not eat the recommended amount. To inspire and support consumers to eat more fruits and vegetables, Appalachian District Health Department and Lowe’s Foods of Boone are joining Produce for Better Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the NC Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Coalition in launching a new national initiative, Fruits & Veggies—More Matters.

This public health initiative encourages Americans to eat more fruits and veggies—fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100 percent juice. Fruits & Veggies—More Matters replaces the existing 5 A Day awareness program.

Consumers will see Fruits & Veggies—More Matters in stores, online, at home and on packaging. The new consumer website, www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org, offers recipes, serving ideas and shopping advice, along with activities and tips for getting children involved and exploring the different varieties of fruits and veggies that the whole family will eat.

In Watauga County, a launch event called Fruit & Veggies for Everyone was held at Lowe’s Foods at New Market Center on Monday, March 19, and featured free samples of fruits and veggies, information and recipes, healthy eating tips, tips for feeding picky eaters, and health and nutrition staff to answer questions.

"Our Fruits & Veggies for Everyone is a great opportunity to reach out to our community and alert them about this important health initiative and the great consumption gap in fruits and veggies,” said Health Director Danny Staley.