“Eat your veggies!” is a major part of the 95210 campaign implemented locally by Healthy Floyd. This national campaign to encourage healthy habits for young people promotes 9 hours of sleep each night, 5 fruits and vegetables a day, no more than 2 hours of screen time, 1 hour of physical activity and 0 sugary drinks.

How do we all include the ideal amounts of produce in our daily eating plan? Floyd student, Shayley Martin has some ideas. She has been writing a newsletter for preschool families about how to use the produce provided in the Preschool Produce program and she writes a food blog called thecornucopiacook.com. When helping out at the Farmers Market she sees fresh, local produce each week. Shayley says, “I like to eat fruits and vegetables because they taste good, a single crunchy, forest-rain-flavored cucumber as it makes a wet sound under your teeth that you’ll never get from a candy bar. And the wonderful mess of juice that rushes out of a peach- you know, the stuff that tastes like sunlight? It’s an entirely different, deeper enjoyment than that of a hamburger.”

Her tips for eating more: “A peach and some berries in your cereal; a salad with chicken, extra veggies like snap peas, and a sliced apple; and a cheesy omelet with mushrooms and peppers will fill the bill for a day! A big mushroom stuffed with vegetables and breadcrumbs or a baked sweet potato with celery and cheese make great “center-of-the-plate” items. Or if you need to sneak produce in less noticeably blend fruit into smoothies, serve colorful arrays of vegetables with homemade Ranch instead of chips and pretzels and substitute avocado in for mayonnaise on sandwiches.” For great snacks she suggests, “Since I’m trapped in Teen World, where hunger is intense and hits at the strangest times I like substantial snacks. Pairing nut butters or cheese with vegetables tides me over longer and adds appeal. Some of my favorite vegetable snacks are salted cucumbers, broccoli with homemade Ranch, chickpeas with cumin, sugar snap peas with yogurt, and avocado guacamole with tortilla chips.”

Shaylee’s recipe for Homemade Ranch (This one is a little lighter than most dressings because it’s half yogurt, half mayonnaise. Just stir the ingredients together and you have some great homemade dressing- but make sure to use plain (unflavored) yogurt! Makes 1 cup.)

Ingredients: ½ cup yogurt, ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp apple cider or white vinegar, 1 garlic clove, minced, optional, or ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp sugar salt and pepper to taste.

Directions: Stir ingredients together in a small container. If you prefer it thinner, add 1 tbsp milk. If you prefer it thicker, add 1 tbsp of mayonnaise. Serve immediately or cover and chill until serving, up to 1 week.

Look for the number ‘5’ at local businesses and groups that support the 95210 campaign including Floyd Baptist Preschool, Floyd Carillion Clinic, Floyd County Health Department, Floyd County school cafeterias, Floyd Farmers Market, Food Lion, Healing Tree, Jim’s Grill, Slaughter’s Grocery, Harvest Moon, Mickey G’s Restaurant, Natasha’s Restaurant, Plenty!, Ray’s Restaurant, Subway, SustainFloyd, Tri Area Health Clinic, Tuggle’s Gap Restaurant, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and others.