June is National Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Month. What better time to taste a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables?
June marks the start of the height of fresh produce season in the United States, so it’s no wonder that June is when we celebrate Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month. For human resource professionals, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other federal, state, and local organizations provide a bounty of materials to promote healthy produce in the workplace. These include the following:
- Printable poster and information sheets
- “Pick a Better Snack” fact sheets about different fruits and vegetables from the Iowa Department of Public Health
- A tip sheet for storing and cleaning fresh produce from Fruits & Veggies—More Matters®
- Printable promotional materials from Fruits & Veggies—More Matters®
- Healthy recipes featuring fruit and vegetables
- Fruit recipes from the USDA
- Vegetable recipes from the USDA
- Web resources
- 10 Tips: Liven Up Your Meals with Vegetables and Fruits from MyPlate.gov
- 10 Tips: Smart Shopping for Veggies and Fruits from MyPlate.gov
- 10 Tips: Add More Vegetables to Your Day from MyPlate.gov
- What’s in Season from the USDA includes not only information about when produce is in season, but also resources about each fruit or vegetable.
- SuperTracker from the USDA allows users to track their foods and reach nutritional targets.
With all the fresh choices available at USConnect’s Bistro to Go!™ micro markets, and with the nutritional recommendations from The Right Choice for a Healthier You™, HR professionals can build company-wide celebrations of National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month. For instance, employees could participate in a recipe contest, with a potluck lunch where everyone gets to try each other’s recipes. Or, employees can use the USDA’s SuperTracker to keep track of how many fruit and vegetables they eat, and self-report to see who can reach their nutrition goal first.
To really celebrate National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, lead a group in creating a rainbow of produce:
- Red: Apples, strawberries, raspberries, red peppers, tomatoes
- Orange: Carrots, orange peppers, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes
- Yellow: Pineapple, papaya, yellow pepper, squash
- Green: Spinach, green beans, peas, broccoli
- Blue: Blueberries
- Purple: Beets, plums, purple sweet potatoes, eggplant