An Ohio YMCA Learns to Eat in Color With GardenSoxx®

In the summer of 2013, GardenSoxx® participated in a “Color Up Your Plate” gardening project at the French Creek Family Branch YMCA in Avon, Ohio. The goal of the project was to encourage healthy eating among the families that attend the YMCA and provide them with an on-site garden that will give them access to a variety of colorful, fresh produce.

Created in the design of a nutritional color wheel, the garden was set up by youth who attend the YMCA, with the help of a GardenSoxx® representative. Not only did their participation allow them to get outdoors and engage in physical activity, but the efforts of putting together a garden provided an excellent opportunity for them to socialize and work together as a team.

The garden was built in a circular shape, divided into sections that correspond to a food color - resulting in a nutritional color wheel of fruit and vegetable plants that provide a variety of essential vitamins and minerals. YMCA program members are encouraged to aim for five servings a day of fresh fruit or vegetables and to incorporate various color groups in their choices. The on-site garden makes it even easier for members to apply this daily goal.