To help build awareness about the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans and encourage consumers to embrace better health and nutrition, Sunkist Growers has become a National Strategic Partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Nutrition Communications Network.

As a National Strategic Partner, Sunkist will launch a series of communications efforts in support of the Dietary Guidelines, starting with the message to “Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables.” The message will be promoted in new educational materials launching this Fall, which will be available online at Sunkist.com and will also be distributed to dietitians, consumer groups and at various Sunkist events. In addition, Sunkist will include the message in the October edition of their Sunkist Recipe e-newsletter, which is distributed to more than 73,000 registered subscribers.   

"Sunkist is pleased to align itself with the USDA in order to help put the Dietary Guidelines into action and educate consumers on the countless health benefits of including fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal,” said Gina Widjaja, Advertising & Public Relations Manager for Sunkist Growers. “Sunkist has a long heritage of promoting healthy living, making this partnership a natural fit and one we can continue to build upon.”

Following the “Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables” message, the USDA will be rolling out six additional themed messages over the next two years. Future messages will include: Enjoy Your Food, But Eat Less; Drink Water Instead of Sugary Drinks; and Avoid Oversized Portions, among others. Sunkist plans to promote each message to consumers as they are launched using various communication vehicles.

“We’re looking forward to working with the USDA to help consumers apply the Dietary Guidelines to their lives,” said Widjaja. “Together with other leading health organizations and companies, we hope to make an impact on the fight against obesity and help improve the nutrition and health of Americans.”