Produce For Better Health Foundation Unveils Its Largest Have A Plant® Influencer Network to Inspire Millions Of Consumers Each Day

As the Produce for Better Health Foundation’s (PBH) award-winning Have A Plant® Movement continues to grow, so too does its network of committed influencer volunteers. The PBH Have A Plant® Ambassadors are a unique network of experts who regularly contribute content to PBH’s digital ecosystem and span three distinct points of influence: point-of-sale (retail); point-of-flavor (culinary & foodservice) and point-of-inspiration (lifestyle, nutrition & agriculture).
 
After a highly competitive selection process with nearly 200 plant-passionate applicants, the 2022-2023 class of Have A Plant® Ambassadors was identified based on a number of factors including their significant credibility, strong digital and social media reach, media-savvy smarts, endlessly compelling expert content, and most importantly, their genuine passion for promoting fruits and vegetables in their professional work. This year’s group of nearly 60 Ambassadors is PBH’s largest to-date, featuring retail registered dietitians, culinary and foodservice professionals, and lifestyle, nutrition & agriculture leaders. All Ambassadors are enlisted for a two-year term and will collaborate with PBH to bring the Have A Plant® Movement to life by inspiring Americans with actionable, realistic and FUN steps to enjoy more fruits and vegetables.
 
“Our valuable network of all-star Ambassadors leads with experience, taste and flavor to ensure the Have A Plant® Movement continues to have a powerful impact with consumers,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, president & CEO of PBH. “As this group of Ambassadors continues to grow, I am confident that we will be able to spread the Have A Plant® love far and wide. No other organization is committed to building and nurturing a diverse community of enthusiastic experts who authentically and credibly advocate for enjoying more fruits and vegetables.”
 
Have A Plant® Ambassadors, along with PBH’s digital and social media following, reach more than 2 million consumers daily and include the following leaders:

RETAIL:

  • Albertson’s Companies, Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
  • Big Y Foods, Andrea Luttrell, RDN, LDN
  • Big Y Foods, Carrie Taylor, RDN, LDN
  • Coborn’s Inc., Amy Petersen, MS, RD, LD
  • Coborn’s Inc., Emily Parent, RD, LD
  • Fresh Thyme Market, Meghan Sedivy, RD, LDN
  • Giant Food Stores, Charlotte Scheid, MED, RD, LDN
  • Giant Food Stores, Jennifer Schmiel, RD, LDN
  • Giant Food Stores, Joni Rampolla, MBA, RDN, LDN
  • Giant Food Stores, Mary Robinson, RD, LDN
  • Giant Food Stores, Shanna Schultz, RD, LDN
  • Giant Food Stores, Thu Huynh, RD, LDN
  • Hannaford Supermarket, Allison J Stowell, MS, RD
  • Hannaford Supermarkets, April Byron, MS, RDN, LDN
  • Hannaford Supermarket, Kara Kilmartin, RD, LD
  • Harmons Grocery, Sarah Kiel, RD
  • K-VA-T Food Stores, Elizabeth Hall, PHD, RDN, LDN
  • Rouses Markets, April Sins, MS, RDN, LDN
  • Weis Markets, Emily Bumgarner, M.ED., RDN, LDN
  • Weis Markets, Lyndi Wieand, MHSC, RDN, LDN
  • Weis Markets, Melissa Logan, RDN, LDN

CULINARY & FOODSERVICE:

LIFESTYLE, NUTRITION & AGRICULTURE:

Beyond its Have A Plant® Ambassadors, PBH also connects with a broad network of plant-passionate advocates, who believe in the organization’s mission and promote fruits and vegetables in their work on a regular basis. All plant-passionate professionals are invited to join our Have A Plant® community here.

We recognize hundreds of influencers want to be a part of our Movementwhether promoting produce in stores, in schools, in restaurants or online via social media,” said Katie Calligaro, PBH marketing & communications director. “Expanding and evolving the Have A Plant® Movement so that all plant-passionate advocates can take part means that any professional who believes in the PBH mission can collaborate with us and make a difference in the lives of millions of Americans, helping them to experience greater health and happiness by eating more fruits and vegetables.”
 
Reaching millions of consumers each day through its social media channels and digital ecosystem, PBH continues to be a premium partner for influencer engagement and activation. To take advantage of PBH’s comprehensive menu of influencer offerings that immerse Gen Z and millennial consumers in an inspirational fruit and vegetable culture, download the newly released 2022 Member Engagement Prospectus here.
 
For more information, research, tips, tricks, recipes and fruit and veggie facts and inspiration, visit fruitsandveggies.org. Follow us and our Have A Plant® Ambassadors on Facebook @fruitsandveggies; Twitter @fruits_veggies; Instagram @fruitsandveggies; Pinterest @fruits_veggies; and LinkedIn at Produce for Better Health Foundation.

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.