Eat the Rainbow Challenge at Story Elementary

Eat the Rainbow Challenge™ took place at Story Elementary for the third time last week.
A special thanks to Erin Needham, the PE coach, PTA representatives Maya Quinn and Machea Hernandez and all the volunteers who helped coordinate the event at their school!

Congratulations 5th grade for winning the challenge!

Here are some highlights from the week...

Watch the Flipagram- http://flipagram.com/f/PjoddIt1Zk

Look at all these healthy yellow foods! #etrchallenge @etrchallenge Thursday is GRE http://t.co/LYYobfzC6X pic.twitter.com/izL0CnBOkL
— StoryPE (@StoryFalconPE) January 22, 2015

#etrchallenge @ETRchallenge pic.twitter.com/54hwNuwGmx
— StoryPE (@StoryFalconPE) January 21, 2015

Even Martha Stewart likes to Eat the Rainbow! #etrc @ETRchallenge pic.twitter.com/7nDWFFisnx
— StoryPE (@StoryFalconPE) January 19, 2015

Who won Eat the Rainbow? 5th GRADE!!! Great job guys! They've already enjoyed their extra recess. @SMitchel05 @DeborahOlsson @mrssudler5
— StoryPE (@StoryFalconPE) January 26, 2015

Learning by Doing

Knowledge is great, but kids (and adults) learn best by doing.
At Eat the Rainbow Challenge™ for elementary schools, kids don't just learn about eating healthier foods. They actually eat them. They watch everyone else around them eating fruits and veggies too.
Much more impact than nutrition education.
We have to educate by 'doing' not 'teaching'.

Fun Week at Dickinson Elementary!

Eat the Rainbow Challenge took place at Dickinson Elementary in Sugarland, TX last week and what a success it was!

Here's a few comments by the organizer and parents at the school!

"I have never seen so many kids excited to eat fruits & veggies:)"

"The kids are SO loving the challenge. I will be sad to see it come to an end this week--it has been fun volunteering!"

"The kids are so into this contest - fun to see them gobbling up the fruits and vegs!"

Thanks to our wonderful partners for sponsoring and getting so many kids excited about eating fruits and veggies! 

Produce For Kids
SUNSET® 

Bolthouse Farms

Chiquita

Eat Smart™ 

Naturipe

A special thanks to Brenda Thomspon, healthy lifestyles chairperson for organizing this event at her school!  
 
Check out some of the pictures from this recent event on our facebook page.

What's Good For You?

New diets and new ways of eating. Every. Single. Day.
If someone doesn't tell you that the food you thought was so healthy is actually not good for you, how else would they get your attention?
With the experts and media proclaiming one food to be a superfood one day and then banishing to the not-really healthy category after a few months, it's not surprising that most consumers are confused and suspicious.
The common sense and balanced approach to eating is not glamorous and it's difficult to sensationalize it.
For most people, though, it is the only approach that makes sense.

Listen Produce Companies

Is marketing to kids right?
Of course not, when the products are unhealthy and full of ingredients we can't even quite pronounce.
But produce companies, please listen.
We want you to market fruits and veggies to our kids. 

I love veggie gardening and educating about eating healthy but it will take a while before the whole country is eating healthy because it's 'good for us'.
We should still keep encouraging education but in the short term if it takes some marketing to get kids (and adults) to eat more fruits and veggies, we'll take it.

Buy the Rainbow

We eat fruits and veggies on a regular basis but it's only recently that I started shopping with Eat the Rainbow Challenge in mind.
It makes a HUGE difference.
Once you understand the system and the colors associated with the days, it can be a great guide when shopping for your groceries.
Remember the Michael Pollan's advice about shopping in the periphery of the grocery store?
Well, when you are the produce section, keep in mind the Eat the Rainbow Challenge score sheet and it will be a great tool to help you buy all the colors and thus a varied selection of fruits and veggies for the week.

In Two Years

Two years ago, mornings were stressful in our home.
I didn't wake up early enough.
The kids barely had enough time to eat breakfast and rush out to school.
I rushed them, scolded them for being late and we all were pretty panicky by the time we reached school.
The culprit was me of course.
I changed. I started waking up much earlier and making them wake up earlier too.
Everything got better.
This is our second year of having more time in the mornings.
Most mornings are calm. We have time to eat, finish up any homework and my daughter may even go for a quick bike ride.

The point is things can change. 
If you feel stuck in a pattern of eating unhealthy foods, it's very much possible to change that.
Your plate could look a lot different in two years than it does now.
Be open to change.
And then do it.
Start with yourself.

Satisfaction

I don't dress up every single day.
I do however put in more of an effort if I'm going out to a party.

Similarly, your food does not have to look like it just popped out of a food magazine or blog.
Perhaps if you have time on the weekend or if you are throwing a party, you would spend lots of time making it look like it does on pinterest or your favorite blogger's site.
But on an everyday basis, it's perfectly fine if we can't make rainbow ribbons and beautiful apple carved birds.

Cut some fruit, fill a plate and sit down with your family.
Or by yourself.

Just be. Simple. There's satisfaction in that too.

Three times a day

If we have to do something at least three times a day, it must be important.
VERY important.
What we eat on occasion doesn't matter.
What we eat everyday does.
If you are an adult who makes any decisions in your home about food, pay attention.
It's tempting to start by giving a lecture to everyone in the house about eating healthier.
But avoid it.  
Start by taking the lead.
Start by  doing it yourself first.


Get Eat the Rainbow Challenge the Game.

Play is the Beginning of Knowledge ~George Dorsey

Play Eat the Rainbow Challenge for fun.
Eat the colors and earn the points.
Maybe, just maybe in the future it might open more doors.
Cooking, baking, gardening, farmers' markets....just maybe.
But for today, eating colors is more than enough.
Let's just play the game.

8 Out of 10 Times

Sorry to disappoint you but my kids don't jump in glee when they get offered an apple for a snack.
Their eyes don't light up when they have to eat a salad.
My 12 year old daughter rolls her eyes at green smoothies. 
My 9 year old hates slimy cooked veggies.
They ask for cheese pizza at birthday parties.
And after having kept them away from soda for years, they have recently discovered the guzzle of an iced coke and root beer. 

They love ice cream, chocolate and chips.
I don't expect them not to. 

But they also would love the opportunity to go a farmer's market.
My 12 year old daughter loves making a fresh Caprese salad with basil from our little veggie patch (which has little else growing right now).
She loves making fresh veggie juice.
My son will chomp on fresh organic carrots with the greens still on and say "Whats up Doc'?"
He dislikes eating greens but will happily drink up a blended smoothie.

I try to cook veggies everyday. This part is natural to me because it's a part of my culture (Indian).
Luckily for me, the connection of cooking to an everyday event hasn't been lost in my family.
If we want to eat, I cook or prepare it most of the time, unless it's a weekend.
On the weekend, we eat at our favorite restaurants.
You may even see us at Sonic picking up a grilled cheese and slushy once in a while.   

We are FAR from those who make perfectly healthy choices all the time.
We just try to do it about 8 out of 10 times.
If 8 out of 10 seems difficult, no worries. Start with a lower number.
But do start.

Why Eat the Colors of the Rainbow?

According to the study presented by Sandra Aamodt at Ted Talks, whether we are in a normal, overweight or obese weight range, our healthy habits can reduce our relative risk of death for the better.

One of the healthy habits is eating more fruits and veggies; this can significantly improve our health and longevity in the long run.

Start your journey today. Commit to eating more fruits and veggies.
It takes one person in the family to start. 

It's all serious stuff but in all seriousness, being scared and not doing anything is boring and a waste of time.
Make it fun. I invite you to play Eat the Rainbow Challenge.
Start eating the colors of the rainbow with us. Do it now!