This past September marked the launch of the MyPlate Fruits & Veggies Video Challenge which encouraged individuals and teams to submit inspiring and instructive videos that provide innovative, easy, and practical tips on how to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet on a budget.
Dozens of contestants demonstrated innovative ways to “make half your plate fruits and vegetables” with skits, songs, and dance; and provided a unique point of view to inspire adults and children to eat a healthier diet on a budget. Schools, community groups, and families shared insightful, practical tips to include fruits and vegetables in every meal and snack.
We congratulate the individuals, schools, families, communities and teams who created the 1st, 2nd, and Popular Choice winning videos and we thank everyone who participated in the challenge. We received 142 submissions in three categories: Tips for Kids; Tips When Eating at Home; and Tips When Eating Away from Home. The Challenge awards $9,000 in prize money to 1st, 2nd, and Popular Vote winners. In addition to the winning submissions, 5 videos were selected for honorable mention. All of these videos are featured on the MyPlate Fruits & Veggies Video Challenge website.
The winners of the MyPlate Fruits & Veggies Video Challenge are as follows:
Tips for Kids
1st Place: On the Go Snack Boxes – You can always have a healthy option by creating these easy to make snack boxes to put in your backpack. A busy student shares how she and her mom wash and cut up a variety of fruits and veggies and store them in individual snack boxes. A great tip for older kids on the go!
2nd Place: Let’s Get Involved! - A fun way to get your children excited about fruits and vegetables is to get them involved in the shopping process. Encourage healthy eating habits by letting children select the fruits and vegetables they eat. Let your kids choose!
Popular Choice: “The Fruit and Veggie Pokey!” – These students have a message for you! Listen as these students share their tips for eating more fruits and vegetables while they dance to the “Hokey, Pokey Song.”
Tips When Eating at Home
1st Place: Wrap Rap – A delicious and nutritious wrap is a great way to get more fruits and vegetables. A rapper provides us with an easy to remember “wrap” song to encourage us to make half our plates fruits and vegetables.
2nd Place: Eating Fruits and Veggies without straining your budget – Seasonal, local and grow-your-own options are all good ways to make half of your plate fruits and veggies. Watch this young student as he provides some creative ways to stretch your dollar.
Popular Choice: My Tip: “Think Vegetables First” - Planning a meal for your family? Mom shares how she changed the meals for her family. Think vegetables first when planning a meal and add the rest of the foods to complement the vegetables.
Tips When Eating Away From Home
1st Place: Substitution and Replace…A story of Give and Take - A mom discovers her sons have been hiding junk food and avoiding more nutritional fruits and veggies. Through substitution and replacement her sons discover a healthier way to eat.
2nd Place: Pack Your Lunch Bag with Fruits and Veggies! - Here are some tips for workers/students on the go who wants to make sure they fill half their plate (or lunch bag) with fruits and veggies! It saves tons of money and calories!
Popular Choice: Richmond Avenue Café – Kids can make “make half your plate fruits and vegetables” when they eat out, too! A young student applies what he learned in health class at the Richmond Avenue School about healthy eating. Amazing results happen when you eat healthy!
Honorable Mention
MyPlate Tip: Eating More Fruits and Vegetables When You’re Eating Away From HomeThis animated couple “rock” their way through tips for eating at a restaurant. This video is based on the Tips for Eating Healthy When Eating Out tips sheet from the 10 tips Nutrition Education Series - and the song I Choose My Plate.
Earthcare 4 Veggies - Growing your own garden is a rewarding, inexpensive and fun way to add variety to your diet with a wide array of fresh fruits and vegetables! All it takes is a small patch of land in your backyard, some sunlight, water and a little home grown appetite.
Fruit Veggie Swag - Get your fruit veggie swag on! Students perform a music video showcasing delicious and healthy ways you can enjoy fruits and vegetables. Young people share how fruits and vegetables—frozen, fresh or canned—are nutritious, and suggest affordable, fun, and tasty ways to prepare them.
My Plate Tip - Put Kids in Charge (I Choose My Plate) – Let your kids choose the fruit they want to eat. An energetic preschooler shows us how he chooses his fruits and vegetables and offers a song to keep all of us mindful of MyPlate. This video is based on the Put Kids in Charge tips sheet from the 10 Tips Nutrition Education Series.
Tips for Eating Healthy When You’re On the Go - Want to eat healthy on the go? Plan ahead and pack your own healthy treats of fruits and veggies. You won’t be tempted to buy sweets and fried snacks with these tips!
Visit the MyPlate Fruits & Veggies Video Challenge to view the winning videos and all the other great submissions that were entered.
Congratulations, winners, and thanks again to everyone who voted and participated!
Follow @USDA, @MyPlate and @ChallengePoston Twitter, and use the hashtag #MyPlate when you tweet.
