WASHINGTON, DC - Remember those posters in classrooms and doctor’s offices when you were younger? How colorful and eye-catching they were? Though we may have grown out of them, these posters still draw a lot of younger eyes, as well as the eyes of parents. The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and The Foundation for Fresh Produce (FFP) have announced a partnership with Kids Eat in Color® to distribute produce-focused educational posters to pediatric-facing healthcare providers across the country.

“It’s well-known that establishing healthful eating patterns at an early age defines consumers’ habits into their adulthoods,” said Cathy Burns, Chief Executive Officer, IFPA and FFP. “While we are faced with mounting economic and human costs of diet-related disease, it’s also known that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is one of the simplest ways to ensure physical well-being. We are committed to supporting the many pathways to grow produce consumption and are thrilled to partner with Jennifer’s team at Kids Eat in Color, who are doing incredible work helping families establish healthy habits around eating fresh fruits and vegetables.”

With over two million Instagram followers, Kids Eat in Color Founder and Registered Dietitian, Jennifer Anderson, is an authoritative resource in helping families through elementary-aged nutrition needs. Kids Eat in Color provides evidence-based strategies and information on child nutrition and feeding, explained a press release. In addition to courses and community resources, they also have a popular social media community to amplify their efforts.

“I am thrilled to be partnering with the International Fresh Produce Association to make the 'How to talk about Fruits and Veggies' poster available in pediatrician offices across the country,” said Jennifer Anderson. “By providing information about what fruits and veggies do in our bodies, we can help kids learn about their health in a way that protects their relationship with food and their body!"

The poster features age-appropriate ways to talk with children about fruits and vegetables and is co-branded with Kids Eat in Color and The Foundation for Fresh Produce’s Have A Plant® logo. This directs pediatric-facing providers and families to fruitsandveggies.org recipes and resources.

Since the posting, more than 3,500 posters were requested from over 570 different providers in 45 U.S. states and eight countries. As part of its White House Conference commitments, IFPA has also created educational materials on Produce Prescriptions for medical students, practitioners, and patients, and with The Foundation, has created a K-12 school breakfast resource that features fruit- and veggie-forward recipes to help school foodservice operators implement USDA’s proposed meal pattern updates.

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