News Feature                                                          For Immediate Release

                                                                                                              August 11, 2006

Fruits and Veggies … Good for Life

Is it too expensive to eat healthy?  A new public education campaign, Fruits and Veggies … Good for Life, launched by Public Health aims to dispel the myth that eating well needs to be costly.

“Buying local produce in season from farm stands, markets and the grocery store is a great way to stock up on inexpensive fruits and veggies,” said Kathryn Forsyth, Public Health Dietitian.  “Make sure to look for Ontario grown produce – it hasn’t travelled thousands of kilometres to get to your table and it tastes amazing at this time of the year.”

For fresh produce year-round, consumers can also purchase a monthly Good Food Box from one of 14 locations in Grey-Bruce. This volunteer-run distribution system makes buying fruit and vegetables affordable.  The program is open to all residents.

“The Good Food Box is brimming full with 10 to 15 different fruits and vegetables for about $12. This is less than half of its retail cost. That’s great value for your dollar,” said Forsyth.

Although Canada’s Food Guide recommends eating 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, only 35% of Grey-Bruce residents meet this requirement (Canadian Community Health Survey 2000/01).  This education campaign encourages eating a minimum of five vegetable and fruit servings every day as a way to prevent disease and achieve good health.  One serving is just half a cup, or about the size of a tennis ball.

The message is supported by a six-week long contest running during August and September in partnership with area newspapers The Sun Times in Owen Sound and the Hanover Post.  The Healthy Eating Contest offers weekly prizes plus two grand prizes of a Good Food Box for a year.

Radio ads feature Public Health Dietitian Kathryn Forsyth with her:

¶     Top 5 reasons why produce is good for you

¶     Top 5 places to find fruits and veggies and

¶     Top 5 ways to incorporate produce into a regular diet. 

The bi-weekly Healthy Measures newspaper column written by Public Health Dietitians Sharon Dinsmore and Kathryn Forsyth will promote the Fruits and Veggies … Good for Life theme during the summer months.  The campaign also appears on billboards, in cinema ads and on cable television.  Posters with the 5 a day message are on display throughout both counties at grocery stores, farm stands, markets and other locations. 

For more information on healthy eating and active living, or a Good Food Box location near you, please contact Kathryn Forsyth, Public Health Dietitian at 519-376-9420.

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Attachments:

• Side-Bars – “Top 5”
• Fruit & Vegetable Campaign Artwork :  At least 5 a day   Are you getting enough? (Small JPEG attached. Other file types and sizes are also available.)

For more information:

Kathryn Forsyth

Public Health Dietitian

Grey Bruce Health Unit

519-376-9420 or 1-800-263-3456 ext. 407