The Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is excited to announce the kickoff of its second annual National Fruits & Veggies Month (NFVM) campaign, a month-long celebration of Americans’ favorite plant foods and all the amazing flavors and good feelings that come along with them.
As our country navigates these complex and uncertain times, NFVM offers Americans a simple reason to come together: having fun with fruits and veggies for happier, healthier lives. And, with nine out of 10 Americans not eating enough fruits and vegetables, eating more plant-powered meals needs to be elevated to a national priority.
This year’s NFVM theme, Have A Plant® Nation, is poised to make PBH’s Have A Plant® Movement bigger than ever, reaching even more Americans across the country with all kinds of fruit and veggie inspiration. Have A Plant® Nation will highlight how, at a time when people are craving togetherness and unity, fruit- and veggie-filled meals can be the catalyst for: inspiring greater family connections; celebrating the diverse ways we uniquely enjoy foods across the nation; improving public health for all Americans; and elevating how industry (both produce as well as non-produce) and influencers can come together to advocate for more fruits and veggies at every meal and snack occasion, for every person – and much more!
“National Fruits & Veggies Month is all about shining a spotlight on fruits and vegetables through innovative and engaging digital and social activities, and showing how they can play a starring role in nutritious, delicious and balanced meals and snacks,” says Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, President and CEO of PBH. “This year, PBH’s dynamic new campaign, Have A Plant® Nation, is rallying all Americans to enjoy more plant-packed meals – in every color, shape and form – and recognizing the power of plants to support health; boost mood; and foster connection.”
The month-long plant-packed party will highlight four key themes that will be woven into PBH’s digital ecosystem – including its Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn channels, as well as on www.fruitsandveggies.org, starting next week, August 31st! PBH will also partner with its superstar network of more than 20 influencers – the Fruit and Vegetable Ambassadors in Action (FVAA) – to spread the Have A Plant® love across the country through social media takeovers, original video content and creative infographics and resources, on their platforms and on PBH’s social channels.
Here’s a preview of what to expect throughout September:
- Connecting Over Fruit and Veggie-Filled Family Meals: Through a partnership with the FMI Foundation’s Family Meals Movement, PBH will help showcase how families can connect through mealtime. Research shows a correlation between more family meals and increased fruit and veggie consumption, so Have A Plant® and Have a Family Meal! #haveaplant #NFVM2020 #familymealsmovement
- Celebrating Plants in Every Color, Shape and Form: There’s a whole world of produce to explore. Different fruits, veggies and plant-filled dishes can evoke special memories; speak to our unique backgrounds; and remind us of our favorite hometown flavors. Let’s celebrate our personal faves – and inspire friends to Have A Plant® and try new forms and flavors too! #haveaplant #NFVM2020 #haveaplantpledge
- Improving Public Health with Fruits & Veggies: Whether canned, dried, fresh, frozen or 100% juice, all fruits and veggies play a role in improving health and happiness. NFVM is the perfect time to rally the nation around the mind and body benefits from nature’s original plant foods. Have A Plant® for happier, healthier lives! #haveaplant #NFVM2020 #haveaplantpledge
- Better Together: Pairing Produce for Happier, Healthier Lives: Fruit and veggie advocates – from produce industry stakeholders as well as foodservice establishments and retailers to health professionals, chefs and lifestyle bloggers – are championing ways to combine fruits and veggies with other nutritious foods for happier, healthier lives. PBH will introduce new guests at the table and showcase how balanced, wholesome meals – featuring produce with other nutrient-rich foods like beef, dairy and whole grains – come together to fuel health and happiness. Have A Plant® with THAT! #haveaplantwithdairy #unitedontheplate
Here are three simple ways you can join the Movement:
- Spread the Fruit and Veggie Love on Social Media: Challenge family, friends, colleagues and your community to get involved. Include the hashtags, #haveaplant, #NFVM2020 and #haveaplantpledge.
- Participate in PBH’s Have A Plant® Tweet Chat with FVAA Beau Coffron: Engage with PBH followers through a fun tweet chat that highlights the importance of family meals, along with fun tips and tricks to enjoy more plant-packed foods each and every day to fuel health and happiness. Join on Twitter next Tuesday, September 1st, at 3:00 p.m. ET @fruits_veggies. #haveaplantchat #NFVM2020
- Take the Have A Plant® Pledge: Who says resolutions for healthier, happier lives have to wait until January? This year, commit to adding one more fruit or vegetable to your routine every day throughout NFVM. Take the Have A Plant® Pledge and download the graphic to share on your social media channels using #haveaplantpledge.
- Rock the Swag: We updated our game on the Have A Plant® gear front – from a variety of tops, to hats and masks – help us rep fruits and veggies as we work from home on virtual conference calls, conferences and even in the grocery store! Have A Plant® and donate today! Shop now!
And the NFVM celebratory grand finale will be bananas! The month culminates in a two-day virtual, exclusive immersion extravaganza for PBH influencers spanning the retail, foodservice and lifestyle sectors, along with select sponsors in PBH’s first-ever Have A Plant® Nation Virtual Influencer Event.
“Reaching consumers is PBH’s forte and activating influencers is our sweet spot,” says Katie Toulouse, Marketing and Communications Director of PBH. “This unique and exclusive virtual experience will spark inspiration through actionable education, intimate networking, plant-forward tasting experiences as well as broad-spectrum digital and social media amplification.”
Join PBH – and plant-passionate advocates everywhere – in extending the Have A Plant® Movement nationwide, by downloading the National Fruits and Veggies Month Toolkit available at www.fruitsandveggies.org/nfvm-toolkit. PBH has created a surround-sound consumer campaign with corresponding resources, including tips, tricks, facts and hashtags as well as research and additional expertise. Sharing fun and easy ways to enjoy more plants is the ultimate way to pay it forward, and that’s what National Fruits & Veggies Month is all about!
For more information on how to engage with PBH and its social content campaigns, as well as PBH’s FVAA and broad-based retail and foodservice influencer network, please contact Katie Toulouse, PBH Marketing and Communications Director.
About the Produce for Better Health Foundation
Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is the only national organization dedicated to helping consumers live happier, healthy lives by eating more fruits and vegetables, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice, every single day.
Since 1991, PBH has invested decades into developing trended insights on attitudes toward all forms of fruit and vegetable consumption, in addition to campaigns and partnerships with government, food industry stakeholders, health professionals and other thought leaders to collaborate, facilitate and advocate for increased intake. Campaigns included first, the 5-A-Day program, and then, the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters public health initiative. While five fruits and vegetables each day is great advice, and more will always matter, PBH’s new behavior-based call-to-action is Have A Plant®. Rooted in behavioral science, PBH’s transformative Have A Plant® movement is an invitation that will inspire people with compelling reasons to believe in the powerful role fruits and vegetables can play to create happy, healthy and active lives.
Be sure to join the Have A Plant® movement and get new recipes, snack hacks, meal ideas and other tips from chefs, registered dietitians, as well as food and wellness experts by visiting www.fruitsandveggies.org. Follow us on Facebook @fruitsandveggies; on Twitter @fruits_veggies; on Instagram @fruitsandveggies; on Pinterest @fruits_veggies; and on LinkedIn at Produce for Better Health Foundation. And remember to #haveaplant.
PBH is also responsible for the Lead The Change Movement — a multi-sector, multi-year initiative designed to maximize the power of PBH’s unique thought leadership position, widespread influencer network, credible scientific and market research, and, most importantly, its innovative members and partners, to lead a call-to-action for addressing the global fruit and vegetable consumption crisis. The initiative includes research, thought leadership and communication platforms to ensure the Movement speaks with One Purpose, One Voice and One Call-to-Action. For more information about the Lead The Change Movement visit: www.fruitsandveggies.org/lead-the-change.
