UK Unveils Color My Plate Plan for Healthy Eating on Campus

LEXINGTON Ky. (Oct. 26, 2015) — The new dining facilities at the University of Kentucky are changing the way students eat by encouraging healthy eating.

The UKColorMyPlate campaign encourages individuals to consume a variety of multicolored vegetables. UK Dining hopes that by improving information and choices, students will be more inclined to make healthy decisions.

This year UK Dining will feature a Produce of the Month, which will highlight seasonal vegetables at Fresh Food Company and Blazer Cafe. October’s vegetables of the month are broccoli and kale which are being sourced from the UK Horticulture Research Farm.

UK Dining dietitian Lauren McKnight-Ford will be hosting a Healthy Bites Sampling every month using fresh produce in a variety of recipes to promote more fruit and vegetable consumption.

"Including more colorful fruits and vegetables is important because they offer different phytochemicals, antidioxidants and nutrients that help you stay healthy in a variety of ways and help lower your risk of chronic illnesses such as obesity, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes," said McKnight-Ford.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), only 13 percent of adults consume the daily recommendation of fruit and 9 percent consume the daily recommended amount of vegetables. Individuals should consume one and a half cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables per day.

These vegetarian options are one component of the overall Eat Well Program.  More information on the full menus for UK Dining can be found here.  

MEDIA CONTACT: Blair Hoover, (859) 257-6398; blair.hoover@uky.edu