2017-18 HEALTHY EATING CHALLENGES
With FOODSTAND & PS20 Sponsored by HARNEY & SONS FINE TEAS
We know that healthy eating is the first step to better health, fewer doctors’ visits, and happier kids. But keeping up with healthy eating every day isn’t easy. That’s why we’re excited to announce that Foodstand is bringing our Healthy Eating Challenges to PS20 all year long (thanks to the support of Harney & Sons Fine Teas). Our Challenges make it easy for PS20 families to work together to build one healthy habit at a time, one day at a time. Participating in these Challenges is also a great way to bring home some of the nutrition education your kids will receive throughout the year.
Here’s the schedule of the Challenges we’ll be working on together: 1. Avoid Sugar at Breakfast (Sept 19 - Nov 12) 2. Avoid Soda (Nov 21 - Jan 14) 3. Cook Dinner More Often (January 23rd - February 21st) 4. No Food Waste (March 6th - April 4th) 5. Eat 1 Distraction-Free Meal Per Day (April 17th - May 16th) 6. Eat 5 Fruits & Veggies Per Day (May 29th - June 27th)
How it works: - You’ll hear about the start of each Challenge kickoff from the school, so be on the lookout! - You’ll join the Challenge via the Foodstand mobile app (iPhone and Android) - You’ll use the app to get daily tips, track your progress, and support your fellow PS20 families - You’ll also have access to 1:1 support via the Foodstand app, so don’t hesitate to ask questions to @Rachna or @annefood whenever they come up - Foodstand will provide weekly video workshops to help answer questions and share ideas for how to tackle each Challenge - Finally, each Challenge will come with prizes!
If you have any questions about how the Challenges will work, feel free to email us at info@dietid.com. If you have ideas for how we can make these Challenges more successful and valuable at PS20, please reach out to the PS20 Wellness Council.
Eat 5 Servings of Fruits & Veggies Challenge Info
The Federal Dietary Guidelines recommend 1.5 - 2 cups of fruit and 2-3 cups of vegetables daily (about 5 servings)—giving you the vital vitamins, nutrients and fiber your body needs to thrive. A diet high in fruits and vegetables can help prevent type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, help you maintain a healthy weight, and even make your skin glow!
How to prepare:
- Think about your favorite fruits and vegetables, and ways in which you can incorporate them into your meals and snacks. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are key times to incorporate fruits and veggies into your diet, but focus on snacks and dessert too! They’ll help you get in an extra serving or two (carrots and celery with hummus, apples with nut butter, berries with nuts).
- Go grocery shopping. Stock up on fresh (and frozen) fruit and veggies. If you have them on hand, you’re much more likely to eat them.
- Don’t forget to check out the Challenge Guidebook for tips, a shopping list, recipes, and further reading and viewing. Be sure to read it before you begin your Challenge so you know what’s in and what’s out.
How to begin your Challenge:
We now have a web version of our app available. For those of you who prefer to use your desktop computer to check in, skip ahead and follow the “Step By Step On Web” instructions. Otherwise, follow the “Step By Step On App” instructions below.
Step By Step On App:
If you’ve already done a Challenge on the Foodstand app…
- Step 1: Go to the orange “My Challenge” tab.
- Step 2: If you are not currently active in a Challenge, you’ll be prompted to enter your invite code PS20Eat5. If you are currently active in a Challenge, tap the settings icon in the top right corner of the ORANGE My Challenge Tab to change your Challenge by entering the invite code PS20Eat5.
If you are new to the Foodstand app…
- Step 1: Download the free Foodstand app.
- Step 2: Register by following the on-screen prompts, and enter Challenge code PS20Eat5
- Step 3: Do a sample check-in to learn how the app works, then tap “Accept Challenge”
- Step 4: Open the app and draw a checkmark every time you eat a serving of fruits or veggies.
Step By Step On Web:
If you’ve already done a Challenge with Foodstand…
- Step 1: Visit the Foodstand app website.
- Step 2: Click “I already have an account” and sign in using your Foodstand username and password.
- Step 3: Click the orange arrow at the bottom of the app screen to navigate to the orange “My Challenge” tab. If you are not currently active in a Challenge, you’ll be prompted to enter your invite code PS20Eat5. If you are currently active in a Challenge, click the settings icon in the top right corner to change your Challenge by entering the invite code PS20Eat5.
If you are new to Foodstand…
- Step 1: Visit the Foodstand app website.
- Step 2: Click “Let’s Go!” Then register by following the on-screen prompts, and enter Challenge code PS20Eat5
- Step 3: Do a sample check-in to learn how Foodstand works, then tap “Accept Challenge”
- Step 4: Open the Foodstand app website and draw a checkmark every time you eat a serving of fruits or veggies.
Additional hints:
- Be sure to check in every time you eat some fruits or vegetables. Select the number of servings you had at that meal. You can check in multiple times in a day. Try not to wait till the end of the day—it’s much more effective to check in right after you eat.
- Use snack time to your advantage to help you reach your daily goal—replace crackers or cookies with carrots and hummus, berries, or an apple with nut butter.
- Check one off the list before you even get to work by including a fruit and/or veggie in your breakfast. Green smoothie, anyone? Yogurt with fruit? Omelette with spinach, perhaps?
- Aim to have at least one veggie on your plate at lunch and dinner, and the more the merrier. The dietary guidelines state to have half your plate covered with veggies.
- Keep easy-to-eat fruit in your bag in case you get the emergency munchies. Bananas, apples, grapes, and berries are all convenient and easy to eat.
- Raw veggies are also a great on-the-go snack—cut up cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, and/or carrots, and put them into a container to take on the road.
- Eat fruit for dessert! Either on its own, with yogurt, or on ice cream if you’re having an indulgent treat.
- Eat the rainbow—a variety of colors of produce in your diet guarantees you’ll be getting a wide range of nutrients.
- The darker and more vibrant the vegetable, the better (except cauliflower, the pale powerhouse).