UK Dining Encourages Campus to Participate in UKColorMyPlate Contest
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 1, 2016) — March is National Nutrition Month and University of Kentucky Dining is challenging the UK community to eat more fruits and vegetables and lean proteins as part of the UKColorMyPlate campaign. The goal of this campaign is to encourage everyone to take time to enjoy and appreciate the pleasures and social experiences food can add to our lives.
UKColorMyPlate is a four-week contest that encourages individuals to consume a “rainbow” of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet. The new 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest a variety of vegetables from all of the five vegetable subgroups — leafy dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy and other vegetables such as onions, cucumbers, celery, zucchini and mushrooms.
During the month of March, the Fresh Food Company, located in The 90, will feature fruits and vegetables that correlate with the “color-of-the-week.”
To participate in the UKColorMyPlate contest, UK students, faculty and staff should upload pictures of their plates that include fruits and vegetables that match the designated color of the week with the hashtag #ukcolormyplate. Last year, the contest received over 250 uploads.
The UKColorMyPlate “color of the week” schedule is as follows:
Week 1 (March 1-7) Red. Examples include apples, grapes, strawberries, raspberries, beets, radishes, red peppers and tomatoes.
Week 2 (March 8-14) Green. Examples include lettuce, asparagus, beans, broccoli, okra, peas, zucchini, cabbage and brussels sprouts.
Week 3 (March 15-21) Orange and Yellow. Examples include cantaloupe, peaches, carrots, corn, peppers, squash and sweet potatoes.
Week 4 (March 22-28) Purple and Blue. Examples include blackberries, blueberries, eggplant, purple cabbage, beets and plums.
The UKColorMyPlate participant who uploads the most photos of different plates each week with the hashtag #ukcolormyplate will win a prize. The participant who uploads the most pictures of different plates during the entire contest with the hashtag #ukcolormyplate will win the grand prize — a Fitbit Charge HR.
Make sure to tag UK Dining on any of the following social media platforms.
UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uky4ky #seeblue
MEDIA CONTACT: Blair Hoover, 859-257-6398; blair.hoover@uky.edu