There is growing evidence that fruits and vegetables play a crucial role in preventing disease and maintaining health.  Despite that evidence, North Dakotans are still not eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  The PERS Board selected the 5 A Day Challenge as a way to encourage employers to initiate and conduct on-site wellness programs for employees.

The PERS 5 A Day Challenge, a collaboration between the North Dakota Department of Health, the NDSU Extension Service, the Healthy North Dakota Initiative and PERS, is one strategy to help employees make better dietary choices which can lead to better health and reduced use of medical services and health insurance.

Included in the program are tools to help individual employees including:

• two on-site educational sessions presented by a public health nutritionist or extension professional,
• a personal challenge to increase servings of fruits and vegetables over the course of four weeks, and
• a packet of educational and motivational materials that provide the information and tools to increase the daily servings of fruits and vegetables, personal goal setting and tools for tracking progress, and
• a website for site coordinators with tips and strategies for engaging and involving employees in the Challenge program.

Funding assistance is available from PERS to conduct the program.  Information about this option is available in the program overview.  An application is also available.

View the PERS 5 A Day Challenge website for further information to help you plan your program:  http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pers/