This spring, America’s Healthiest Campus® challenged its employees to adopt healthy eating habits by increasing fruit and vegetable intake through OSU’s first system-wide challenge, Colorful Choices. 

More than 530 participants and 54 teams from across all five campuses, four A&M affiliates and 77 county extension offices participated in the simple, six week challenge.

“Loved, loved, loved this challenge,” reported one participant in a survey. “I went from eating maybe one fruit or vegetable, if any, per day to eating a serving at each meal.”

Through this fun online program, participants earn daily points by eating a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables and score bonus points by eating Top Choices. Participants also stay on track with support from their Colorful Choices team and use daily tips, recipes, and tracking tools to make eating healthy easy.

The winning team for Stillwater is “Veggie Up!” whose team members are Jorge Atiles, Becky Schlais, Gina Peek, Tim Schlais, David Brown and Cindy Haseley. The individual winner is Britt Weaver. 

The winning team for the entire OSU system is Rural Health from OSU-CHS, whose team members are Denna Wheeler, Chad Landgraf, Lara Brooks, Jeffrey Hackler and Corie Kaiser. The individual winner is Jeffrey Hackler from OSU-CHS. 

“This easy-to-use program has gained support by many OSU employees along with the recognition that it isn’t hard to increase fruits and vegetable intake,” said Elizabeth Lohrman, registered dietician and nutrition counselor. 

America’s Healthiest Campus is challenging OSU employees again to increase fruit and vegetable intake over the summer. The challenge will kick off on June 15 and last through July 26.

“Another Colorful Choices program this summer will coincide with an abundance of produce at the farmer’s market,” Lohrman said. “Don’t miss out this June!”

Registration for Colorful Choices opens June 8. Any benefits-eligible OSU employee at all campuses and county extension service offices can sign-up as an individual or as a team. A veggie cooking class will be offered for participants from the Stillwater campus at the Seretean Wellness Center, date to be announced. Prizes will be awarded to the top individual and team participants. For more information or to register, visit http://okstate.colorfulchoices.com.

Story by Tory Dwyer