November: Enjoy more fruits and vegetables
October got Daily Difference off to a strong start. Staff across EatMoveGrow schools filled their tumblers, named what they were grateful for, and checked on each other. You built those habits one day at a time.
November adds one more. This month's theme is Harvest Your Health, and the goal is simple: enjoy more fruits and vegetables. You do not need a new diet or a grocery overhaul. You need one or two more servings a day, and a plan to make them easy.
Why it matters for school staff
Most adults fall short, and Louisiana adults fall shorter. CDC data from 2019 show that only 11% of Louisiana adults ate enough fruit and only 7% ate enough vegetables. Nationally, the numbers were 12% and 10%.
Adults need about 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables each day. For most of us, that is a gap of a few servings, and a few servings is a gap you can close.
The payoff shows up in how you feel. A study of more than 12,000 adults found that happiness and life satisfaction rose with each extra daily serving of fruits and vegetables, up to eight a day. On a long school day, more fiber, vitamins, and water from produce can also help you keep your energy steady through the afternoon.
Three small moves for November
1. Fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. Use this at lunch and at supper. Before you add anything else, put a vegetable or fruit on half the plate. On a cafeteria tray, take the side salad, the green beans, or the fruit cup. At home, add a bagged salad or a pan of roasted vegetables to whatever you already cook.
2. Keep fruits and vegetables visible and easy to reach. We eat what we see. Put a bowl of apples or satsumas on your desk or in the staff lounge. Keep baby carrots, snap peas, or grapes on the front shelf of the fridge. Wash and cut produce on Sunday so it is ready to grab on a busy Tuesday.
3. Start with one or two more each day. Pick one spot in your day and add one serving there. A banana with your morning coffee. A handful of cherry tomatoes during planning period. A side of greens at supper. After a week, add a second spot.
Make a when-then plan. Tie your new habit to something you already do. For example: "When I pack my lunch, then I add one fruit." Or: "When the last bell rings, then I eat a piece of fruit before I drive home." You will write your own plan on the November check-in.
What's in season in Louisiana
November is a good month to eat local. Look for these at the store, the farmers market, or a roadside stand:
- Satsumas: easy to peel and perfect for a lunch box
- Sweet potatoes: bake a few at once and reheat them all week
- Collard, mustard, and turnip greens: a Louisiana Thanksgiving staple
- Cabbage and broccoli: good roasted, steamed, or in soup
- Pumpkin and winter squash: roast it or stir it into chili
Thanksgiving falls in November too. Bring a vegetable dish or a fruit tray to your family table or your school's staff potluck. You make the healthy choice easy for everyone else.
Check in and earn your November prize
Keep your October habits going. Your water bottle, your gratitude, and your connections with coworkers still count. November builds on them.
When you are ready, scan the code on the November poster in your staff lounge. The check-in takes less than 90 seconds. Tell us how many days you made a small move, share your when-then plan, and name one small win.
Everyone who checks in by the last school day of November earns a prize tied to this month's theme. Your Health Educator will bring it on the next school visit.
Show us your harvest. Send photos of your fruit bowl, your packed lunch, or your staff potluck to Hannah at hannah@eatmovegrow.us. We may feature you in a future post.
"The first wealth is health." Ralph Waldo Emerson
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