Goya, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the United States, is part of the First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! movement to empower parents to make healthy choices for themselves and their families. It is partnering with USDA’s new icon, MyPlate/MiPlato, that reminds consumers to build healthy plates at meal times. As a national strategic partner, Goya is promoting the messages that support MyPlate and MiPlato to educate and encourage families to consume a well-balanced diet. By teaming up with Let’s Move! and USDA, Goya has committed to provide people with several tools to improve their health.
In support of the First Lady’s initiative, Goya created an army of resources to help fight childhood obesity. Goya has produced a brochure in both English and Spanish with six healthy recipes, ten tips on how to create a well-balanced plate, and a coupon for low sodium beans is being distributed to several Let’s Move Faith and Communities partners around the country. Dr. Luz Myriam Neira, Director of Nutrition at the San Antonio Food Bank, said “the booklets were so well received by SNAP/Ed participants” that she will be using an electronic version of the booklet, sans coupon, to meet the demand for helpful recipes and tips. They are also working with a local grocery chain using these materials in their nutrition education efforts.
Additionally, Goya plans to publish a MiPlato cookbook to further inform their consumers on ways to eat healthfully. Goya’s message is also reaching children up and down the east coast through a 4th-6th grade nutrition-focused curriculum to be implemented in schools in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Miami and Tampa. Lastly, Goya has committed to printing the MiPlato icon on six of its low-sodium products to remind buyers that they can learn the benefits of a well-balanced, nutritious meal at ChooseMyPlate.gov. The efforts of this collaboration between Let’s Move!, USDA, and Goya will benefit the health of parents and children nationwide.
Goya has partnered with various organizations from all around the country including California Food Policy Advocates, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, National Council of la Raza, and South Florida Center for Reducing Cancer Disparities to disseminate this useful information and helpful tool to the Latino community. These champions have committed to hand out booklets to local community members through family organizations, promotores de salud (health promoters), school districts, fitness coalitions, Latino ministries, and other associations to get the word out about the messages that support MiPlato to their communities. With the help from various organizations, the MyPlate/MiPlato initiative is spreading all around the country. This coalition of national and local associations devoted to promoting health and wellness brings us one step closer to accomplishing the Let’s Move! initiative’s goals to combat childhood obesity and help our children lead healthier lives.