Eat The Rainbow!

Summer Recreation Programming Challenge

This summer, the FiTT Team at Public Health is partnering with Community Wellness to build on the nutrition education assessment they conducted last year with the youth in the Summer Recreation Program. As part of last year's "Whole Foods Make Whole Communities" campaign, both programs came together to gauge the youths' attitudes and motivations to understand their whole food preferences. Take a look at the results below!

Summer Youth Recreation Survey

76% of youth said they liked to make their own food!

35% of youth said they preferred watermelon and dragon fruit over all other fruit!

47% of youth preferred corn and broccoli over other starches and green vegetables!

56% of youth said growing your food to be healthy is important!

64% of youth said they loved green vegetables!

The three takeaway messages we want to highlight include:

• Our youth prefer whole-food preferences of corn, broccoli, watermelon, and dragon fruit, which make for healthy snacks!

• Our youth like to make their own food which is a proven behavior that leads to consuming more whole foods!

• Our youth understand the association between being healthy and growing their own food, which means they appreciate traditional farming!

While this sample size represents a small portion of the community, the surveys were a great foundation for the recipes and curriculum design for our "Seed To Snack" pilot program we are implementing this summer. For the next eight weeks, the FiTT Team will host breakfast with the Summer Recreation Program in Community Wellness to accompany activities promoting healthy attitudes, behaviors, and skills linked to whole food education, traditional farming, and harvesting.

Part of this programming includes a challenge to consume more fruits and vegetables by "eating the rainbow." The CDC recommends eating patterns rich in whole foods and low in ultra-processed foods to support a healthy lifestyle and manage a healthy weight. Furthermore, eating whole foods in various colors provides various health benefits, which is why a balance of all colors is important to a healthy diet. We are excited to implement evidence-based and culturally relevant programming for our youth this summer. Look at the different examples of fruits and vegetables that make the rainbow!

Red / Pink. Why not try beets, cherries, cranberries, pink grapefruit, pomegranates, radishes, raspberries, red apples, red grapes, red peppers, red potatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice, watermelon

Orange / Yellow. Why not try butternut squash, apricots, cantaloupe, carrot, corn, grapefruit, lemons, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, orange peppers, papaya, peaches, pineapple, summer squash, sweet potatoes, tangerines, yams, yellow apples, yellow peppers, yellow squash

Green. Why not try artichokes, asparagus, avocados, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, celery, collard greens, cucumber, green beans, green cabbage, green grapes, green onions, green peppers, kale, kiwi, leeks, limes, mustard greens, okra, pears, peas, romaine lettuce, snow peas, spinach, sugar snap peas, watercress, zucchini

White. Why not try white bananas, cauliflower, garlic, Jerusalem artichoke, mushrooms, onion, potatoes, parsnips, shallots, oatmeal, boiled eggs, rice

Brown/Tan/Black. Why not try black beans, pinto beans, brown rice, whole grains, game/hunted meats, nuts, chia seeds

Blue/ Purple. Why not try blackberries, blueberries, currants, dates, eggplant, purple grapes, plums, prunes, purple figs, raisins

Although this challenge is strictly for the youth in the Summer Recreation Program, we encourage community members to support them by participating in eating the rainbow. Feel free to download and print the "Rainbow Challenge" Checklist below and post pictures of how you and your family eat the rainbow to this blog. We look forward to seeing the creative healthy ways you eat your fruits and vegetables.

Eat the rainbow.pdf

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