MyPlate.gov names Brighter Bites strategic partner

Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly  to families, has been named a National Strategic Partner of MyPlate.gov.

Through this partnership, Brighter Bites joins a large variety of organizations and companies working to elevate USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate’s mission to encourage healthier eating habits and choices. MyPlate strategic partners include a variety of national organizations such as food retailers, restaurant chains, media outlets, healthcare corporations and food manufacturers.

“We are proud to be a partner of an organization that not only matches our mission but also reaches so many families and individuals nationwide with an approachable guide to healthy eating,” Rich Dachman, Brighter Bites’ CEO, said in a news release. “As we continue to grow our program and reach more families nationwide, we are honored to be surrounded by so many other companies with similar goals. What an exciting and impactful group to join!”

MyPlate’s recipe for healthier eating starts with taking a look at how consumers fill their plates. Focusing on whole, fresh foods, varying the type of protein and vegetables consumed, and switching to more low-fat or fat-free dairy products can make a large difference in consumer’s health. Furthermore, the MyPlate website provides important information on why food choices matter as well as resources to help make small choices that greatly benefit the overall wellbeing of an individual.

“We look forward to promoting MyPlate’s nutritional messaging alongside our content to continue showing people how beneficial it is to choose the food you consume wisely and purposefully to support a healthy lifestyle,” Dachman said in the news release.

To learn more about MyPlate and how the organization is making every bite count, visit myplate.gov. To learn more about Brighter Bites, brighterbites.org.

Since its 2012 start, Brighter Bites has distributed more than 50 million pounds of produce and hundreds of thousands of nutrition education materials to more than 500,000 individuals through schools, after school programs and summer camps in the cities in which it serves. Brighter Bites uses a simple formula for introducing healthy lifestyles to families: produce distribution, nutrition education, and a fun food experience that helps to demystify produce and show just how great it can taste, according to the release.