The Massachusetts Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Council

The Massachusetts Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Council (MF&VNC) is a collaborative of individuals representing public and private organizations. Formally known as the Five A Day Coalition, it was established in 1988 with a common vision of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption of the Massachusetts population as a way to promote health and prevent chronic disease.

The vision of the Massachusetts Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Council is that everyone living in Massachusetts will have access to affordable, high quality fruits and vegetables.

The mission of the Massachusetts Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Council is to increase awareness and educate and affect policy change to increase availability of affordable, quality fruits & vegetables.

Welcome to the Exciting World of Fruits and Vegetables

The Massachusetts Fruit & Vegetable Council (MN&VNC) is proud to provide new materials which can be used for 2008 National Nutrition Month in March and throughout the year. The resources can help you spread the important message about the health benefits of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Included on this web page please find four new resources which will help you to integrate the fruit and vegetable nutrition message into your programs or community activities. The information can be used in a newsletter; health education materials; distributed at fairs, made available to clients or patients in a waiting room; submitted to a local newspaper or used as background information for an interview. You decide what makes the most sense to your group or organization.

We encourage you to share these materials with others in your networks.

• Fruits and & Veggies – More Matters™ Promotional Kit [PDF], Winter 2008 - This fresh new campaign replaces the old “5 a Day” Message with a simplified message that aims to motivate consumers to eat more fruits & vegetables. The information in this packet covers many areas including what is a portion size, how much is enough and tips on how to include fruits and vegetables in community and school settings
• Farm to Table : Working with Local Farmers to Access Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Resource Guide, Winter 2008 - This resource highlights programs and organizations throughout the state that have integrated locally-grown, fresh produce within their setting..
• The Benefits of Adequate Fruit and Vegetable Intake: An Annotated Bibliography [PDF], Fall 2007 - This tool provides up-to-date information on evidence-based research on the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption and its relationship to health.
• Get Smart! ... Six new Get Smart materials developed by the Produce for Better Health Foundation to help get the word about the importance of using fruits and vegetables in taste easy ways.

We hope that you find these materials useful and look forward to hearing how you have used these resources.

Sincerely,
Massachusetts Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Council

To learn more about the MNF&VNC or to join contact
Cynthia Bayerl, Coordinator of the Massachusetts Fruit & Vegetable Nutrition Council at ( 617) 624-5439.

Additional web sites:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov
Get Smart: www.pbhfoundation.org/educators/professional
Produce for Better Health: www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org
Massachusetts Partnership for Healthy Weight: www.mphw.org
Massachusetts Health Promotion Clearinghouse: www.maclearinghouse.com

Your link to Massachusetts grown
and produced products!

ABCD Headstart
American Cancer Society
American Heart Association
Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center
BOND of Color
Boston Commission on the Elderly
Boston Public Health Commission
Boston Public Schools
Boston STEPS
Cambridge Health Department
City of Boston
The Federation of Farmer’s Markets
Farm to School
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
The Greater Boston Food Bank
Hannaford’s
Harvard School of Public Health
HESSCO Elder Services
Institute for Community Health
Lane Printing
MA Department of Agricultural Resources
MA Department of Education
MA Department of Public Health
MA Medical Society
New England Dairy Council
Office of Elder Affairs
Operation Frontline
Project Bread
Shaws Supermarket
Smokey the Wellness Guy
Stop & Shop Supermarket
Tufts University
USDA
UMass Extension
WIC