Energize and Mobilize!

Eat Fruits, Vegetables, and Be Active

Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and disease-fighting phytochemicals. Because of this, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables every day can help reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables - green, yellow/orange, red, blue/purple, and white - for better health. Visit www.5aday.com to learn more about the health benefits of colorful fruits and vegetables.

Store a variety of fruits and vegetables in sandwich bags to grab on-the-go, such as cherry tomatoes, strawberries, grapes, sugar snap peas, baby carrots, and bell pepper strips.
Make sure your kitchen is stocked with ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, celery sticks, broccoli florets, and plums.
Try something new! Have you ever tried a tangerine, kiwifruit, baby bok choy, or broccolini?

Include fruits and vegetables with every meal and snack. Set out a plate of carrots, broccoli florets, and fresh fruit that kids can snack on while dinner is being prepared.
Keep frozen and canned fruits and vegetables available as easy additions to dinner. Try adding some frozen peas to a pasta dish or some green beans to a soup.

Kids are more likely to reach for fruit or vegetable snacks if they see you doing the same.
Make a healthy request when eating out. For example, ask for a salad to replace French fries or 100% fruit or vegetable juice to replace sodas.
Have your kids help prepare fruits and vegetables for meals and snacks. Kids can help wash fresh fruits and vegetables, add them to recipes, or make salads.

Children should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Also, adults should get at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day, and to prevent weight gain, they may need about 60 minutes.
Encourage kids to participate in activities like sports, dance, swimming, or outdoor games rather than watching TV or playing video games.
Exercise can be fun, make it an activity the whole family can enjoy - go for a walk, ride bikes, take a hike or kick a soccer ball around at a local park.
Staying active and eating healthy go hand-in-hand - it's critical to do both for better health.

Pack a healthy lunch. Try sandwiches with extra lettuce and tomato, vegetable salad with low-fat dressing on the side, vegetable soup; salsa with corn tortillas, and fresh fruit.
Bring healthy snacks to work. If you are in a hurry in the morning to pack snacks for work, pick fruits and vegetables that require little peeling or chopping, like baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, grapes, apples, or broccoli florets.
Rather than coffee, try 100% orange juice or apple juice for your morning beverage.
To satisfy a sweet tooth, keep a bowl or bag of fresh or dried fruits or nuts at your workstation for yourself and others to snack on.

Consider locations at your workplace that are ideal for getting small increments of physical activity during the day. For example, take the stairs rather than the elevator, or take a walk around the hallway or outside of your building.
Buddy up with a co-worker and hold each other accountable for physical activity, whether you're taking 10-minute walking or stretching breaks, or going for a walk after lunch during your lunch hour.
Form a workplace team for baseball, soccer or basketball, and ask nearby businesses to do the same for a little friendly competition and fun.

Inform your employer and other business organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtables, etc., about the importance and financial benefits of healthy workplace policies.
Ask your employer to provide access to quality, affordable fruits and vegetables and opportunities for physical activity during the workday for their employees. For example, serve fruits and vegetables at meetings, potlucks, and other workplace gatherings. Also, encourage stretch breaks during meetings lasting more than 60 minutes. Visit www.ca5aday.com/worksite for healthy meeting policies.
Ask your employer to provide food choices in vending machines and cafeterias that meet healthy nutrition standards, and explore partnerships with local restaurants in the area to provide low-cost healthy alternatives (i.e., lunch specials) for customers during work hours. Visit www.ca5aday.com/worksite for nutrition standards.
If you have an on-site cafeteria in your building, ask for nutrition information to be provided, and request that healthy entrees, salads, and fruits and vegetables be available.
Urge your company to work with local police and community groups to provide safe areas near worksites for employees to walk.
Ask your employer for a changing space and lockers for those who want to exercise at lunch.
Ask your employer for safe, secure, and free bike storage as well as space for physical activity to encourage a more active worksite.