The Fruit and Vegetable Alliance and Fruits & Veggies — More Matters®

In March 2007, the 5 A Day for Better Health Program became the NationalFruit and Vegetable Alliance.  Increasing fruit and vegetable intake to promote good health continues as the aim of the Alliance.

The National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance supports programs that provide education and improve access to fruits and vegetables.  Fruits & Veggies — More Matters® is a public health campaign launched by the Alliance to support all Americans in eating more fruits and veggies.  The campaign was updated from the previous 5 A Day message to mirror the new US Dietary Guidelines, which recommend more than five servings of fruits and vegetables for some Americans.  The dietary guidelines provide recommendations in terms of total daily cups, so encouraging 5 servings a day is no longer accurate.  Fruits & Veggies — More Matters is jointly sponsored by the Center for Disease Control and Produce for Better Health Foundation.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is the lead agency for coordinating Fruits & Veggies—More Matters activities in our state.  The program encourages Missourians to eat more fruits and vegetables and to increase the availability of fruits and vegetables at home, school, work, and other places where food is served.  The national campaign is supported locally through a statewide network of diverse entities championing fruits and veggies in Missouri.  For more information about Missouri’s Fruit and Vegetable Program or to join the network of Missouri fruit and vegetable colleagues please contact pat.kramer@dhss.mo.gov.

More Matters Because…

Fruits and veggies are nutrition powerhouses.  Not only are they low in fat and calories they are good sources of a variety of nutrients that have been shown to promote good health. 

As part of a healthy diet, eating fruits and vegetables can:

• Help maintain a healthy weight
• Help prevent certain cancers
• Help maintain a healthy blood pressure
• Reduce heart disease risk
• Reduce diabetes risk

A healthy diet includes an assortment of fruits and vegetables.  With over 200 choices and a variety of packaging options to make fruits and vegetables easy to store and serve, there’s bound to something to please everyone, even the pickiest of eaters.  Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried—they all count.  How are you going to get more?