Community Success Stories
A formal and rigorous evaluation of the Colour It Up: 5 -10 a day your way (Colour It Up) has demonstrated the success of this vegetable and fruit behavioural intervention program.
In fact, total vegetable and fruit consumption of the pilot program participants INCREASED THREE-FOLD from expected results from the literature. Both program participants and facilitators had lots of positive feedback about the Colour It Up program. Here is a collection of participants' thoughts and stories:
Dawn's Story: 3 Peppers for $1
Dawn has literally changed her eating and shopping habits after participating in the Colour It Up program.
During the program, her weekly goal was to buy a brand new vegetable. One week, it was turnips. Next it was kohlrabi. She now aims to have 9 servings of vegetables and fruit every day. Dawn makes the recipes from the Colour It Up binder regularly, both for her family and in her job as a chef at a women's shelter.
Living with diabetes, Dawn knows the importance of healthy eating. "It's because of the Colour It Up program that I've eaten more vegetables, lost weight, changed my eating habits and provided my family with more veggies and fruit."
"I shop differently now and more economically too," Dawn boasts. "At my neighbourhood market, I got 3 peppers for $1 a red one, an orange one and a green one! They go for $3.49/lb in the grocery store."
“Before, I used to crave carbohydrates and protein, now I crave fruits and vegetables. I can't wait to have a salad! - Dawn”
Irene's Story: Pork Chops & Bananas
Getting her four kids to eat properly was a task for Irene. She wanted to learn different ways to convince them to eat more vegetables and fruit. And did she ever!
"In the Colour It Up program, I learned so many new things different ways of cooking, new recipes and even some myths around fresh, frozen and canned vegetables."
Variety was another big learning lesson for Irene. She now serves a variety of vegetables and fruit and feels ok about straying away from the conventional.
“ Instead of applesauce, my kids eat bananas with their pork chops, but hey whatever! It was great listening to the other women there too. - Irene”
