Produce for Better Health Foundation Teams Up With Kroger Health, American Egg Board & Naturipe Farms For Back-to-School Promotion

The Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) has teamed up with Kroger Health to bring together two nutrient-rich foods – berries and eggs – for better health and happiness this fall. In partnership with the American Egg Board’s Egg Nutrition Center (ENC) and Naturipe Farms, PBH continues its Powerful Produce Pairings program through omni-channel retail promotions this August.
 
“This fall, kids are heading back to school, which often means ‘back to busy’ for many parents. To ensure the return isn’t overshadowed by worry, parents can proactively take key steps to ensure the safety and health of their children by tapping into the emotional connection kids can have with produce,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, President & CEO of PBH. “Plant foods, like fruits and vegetables, provide important nutrients that help kids do their best in the classroom, whether it’s helping to support their immune system or giving them the needed energy for all their favorite activities. PBH encourages families to have a plan and Have A Plant® this fall with this berry eggcellent promotion!”
 
While the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend 2.5 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit each day for kids aged 2 to 8 years old, nine out of ten Americans aren’t getting enough fruits and vegetables. In addition, PBH’s State of the Plate research indicates that Americans’ fruit and vegetable habits continue to decline.
 
An easy way to get kids to eat fruits and vegetables more frequently and enjoy the beneficial role they play in a happier, healthier lifestyle is by pairing them with other nutrient-dense foods. Not only does pairing with kids’ favorite foods increase the consumption of produce, but there are also nutrition synergies. Eggs and blueberries are a powerful nutrition combination, with nutrients supporting brain health, immune health, bone health and eye health.

PBH is thrilled to bring Powerful Produce Pairings to life through this Kroger Health promotion. Kroger Health, the healthcare arm of The Kroger Co., is one of America’s leading retail healthcare organizations, with more than 2,300 pharmacies and 11 specialty pharmacies nationwide, and 200 clinics. Their team of 22,000 healthcare professionals – from pharmacists and nurse practitioners to dietitians and technicians – serves more than 13 million customers. Specifically, this promotion is in partnership with Kroger Health’s registered dietitian teams and includes:

  • PBH Have A Plant® Cook Along on PBH’s Facebook Channel @FruitsandVeggies, Wednesday, August 11th at 5:30 p.m. ET. Join Kroger’s Ashley Martinez, MFN, RD, LD for a lesson in batch cooking to help followers prep kids’ lunches using creative recipes from both Egg Nutrition Center and Naturipe Farms.
  • A PBH Have A Plant® for Back-To-School Nutrition Booklet distributed to more than 60,000 Kroger and Little Clinic customers, showcasing like eggs and blueberries to support cognition, tips on building DIY lunch packing stations and batch cooking for back to school.
  • An opportunity for all partners to present to Kroger’s team of dietitians in a small group setting, offering them new nutrition information and the science behind the benefits of berries and eggs for cognitive health – all culminating at a time when these benefits will be top of mind as kids head back to school in the fall.
  • Social media promotions throughout the month of August that will provide tips and tricks to shoppers and PBH followers on how to ensure school lunches offer the good nutrition parents demand and delicious food that kids will request over and over in their lunches.

 “Our philosophy is to bring our shoppers science-based, real life, simple ways to enjoy delicious food that helps them feel great,” said Bridget Wojciak, Director of Nutrition, Kroger Health. “We believe nutrition for better health does not mean dreading what’s on your plate, and so we’re thrilled to show how great memories can be shared over meals featuring produce.”

For more information about how to partner with PBH on Powerful Produce Pairings or other retail promotions, contact Katie Calligaro, Marketing & Communications Director of PBH.

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/leadthechange.

About Kroger Health
Kroger Health, the healthcare arm of The Kroger Co., is one of America’s leading retail healthcare organizations, with over 2,300 pharmacies and 11 specialty pharmacies nationwide, and 200 clinics. Their team consists of 22,000 healthcare professionals – from pharmacists and nurse practitioners to dietitians and technicians – serving over 13 million customers. At Kroger Health, Food as medicine means an educated, dedicated, and personalized approach to eating and enjoying food so we can live healthier lives and prevent illness before it starts.
 
About Egg Nutrition Center
The Egg Nutrition Center (ENC) is the science and nutrition education division of the American Egg Board (AEB), the national marketing organization for America’s egg farmers. ENC consists of dedicated nutrition experts with a range of professional experience in food science and nutrition fields. For the latest research, resources, and recipes visit EggNutritionCenter.org or follow us on InstagramTwitter, or Facebook.
 
About Naturipe Farms
Naturipe is a farmer-owned producer and marketer of nutritious, best tasting, premium berries and avocados that has been an industry leader for more than 100 years producing healthy and deliciously fresh, frozen, and value-added products. Because our diverse grower base shares resources, skills, labor, and knowledge, we are better farmers and, in turn, strengthen the local farm community. Our focus on innovation ensures year-round availability of locally grown and Globally Local™ conventional and organic fruit.