HEALTHIER HABITS
Significant increase in amount of fruits and vegetables consumed.
While food co-ops are becoming popular, there is little published literature to show their benefit and impact.
This is where Brighter Bites takes the fruitcake.
Researchers at the UTHealth School of Public Health conducted a two-year study evaluating the impact of Brighter Bites on 760 students and their families at nine schools in Houston during the 2013-15 school years. Results from this study have been published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal called Preventive Medicine.
Suffice it to say, science finally proves what we’ve suspected all along:
Brighter Bites works—and works well.
Study results show that, as compared to participants in the control group (not receiving Brighter Bites), children and parents who did receive Brighter Bites demonstrated:
Significant increase in amount of fruits and vegetables consumed.
Significant decrease in amount of added sugars consumed among children.
Twofold increase in cooking meals from scratch
Significant increase in serving more fruits and vegetables as snacks.
Significant increase in eating produce-heavy meals together at home
Twofold increase in using nutrition labels to guide grocery purchases
“Brighter Bites is a theory-driven, evidence-based health promotion program that mitigates fruit and vegetable waste and converts it into a public health opportunity by systematically sourcing and channeling primarily donated produce into underserved communities.”
“The overarching goal of Brighter Bites is to increase the demand for, and intake of, fruits and vegetables among low-income children and their families. To ensure this happens, our model provides comprehensive nutrition education for students and their parents and creates exciting opportunities for children to practice healthy eating behaviors in school and at home. Ongoing evaluation allows us to critically assess program efficacy, while pushing the scientific dialogue forward to understand how to healthfully feed our families.”
94% of participating parents reported their family ate all or most of the fruits provided, and 87% ate all or most of the vegetables.
Participating families reported attending 7 of 8 available distributions on average in each of the fall and spring semesters.
On average each week, Brighter Bites families received 57 servings of fruits and vegetables, which cost the program $2.65 per family per week.
How we built our three-part formula, developed our messaging and materials, and continue to evaluate program success.
We are currently studying how the social determinants of health, specifically food insecurity, impacts our Brighter Bites families’ behaviors such as grocery shopping, dietary intake, and program attendance.
Translating research into practice, and practice into research.
Allison N. Marshall, Christine Markham, Nalini Ranjit, Gregory Bounds, Joanne Chow, Shreela V. Sharma Long-term impact of a school-based nutrition intervention on home nutrition environment and family fruit and vegetable intake: A two-year follow-up study. Preventive Medicine Reports 20 (2020) 101247
Sharma SV, Chuang R, Rushing M, Naylor B, Ranjit N, Pomeroy M, et al. Social Determinants of Health–Related Needs During COVID-19 Among Low-Income Households With Children. Prev Chronic Dis 2020;17:200322.
Sharma SV, Haidar A, Noyola J, Tien J, Rushing M, Naylor BM, et al. (2020) Using a rapid assessment methodology to identify and address immediate needs among low-income households with children during COVID-19. PLoS ONE 15(10):e0240009
Amier Haidar BS , Amelia Khoei BS , Saira Alex BS , Christina Blick BS , Elyse Lopez BS , Sydney Wendt BS , Ramesh Ghanta BS , Maha Almohamad PhD , Stefanie Cousins MPH , Jacqueline Noyola BS , Jacqueline Tien BS , Christine Markham PhD , Shreela V. Sharma PhD, RD, LD, Community-academic partnerships to promote health literacy and address social needs among low-income families during COVID-19, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (2020)
Marshall, A., Bounds, G., Patlovich, K., Markham, C., Farhat, A., Cramer, N., Oceguera, A., Croom, T., Carrillo, J., & Sharma, S., Study Design and Protocol to Assess Fruit and Vegetable Waste at School Lunches. Behavioral Sciences. 2019, Volume 9, Issue 9, pp 101-116.
Sharma, S.V., Markham, C., Ranjit, N., Marshall, A., Bounds, G., Chow, J., & Hearne, K., Impact of a school-based nutrition intervention on fruit and vegetable waste at school lunches – Results from the Brighter Bites pilot plate waste study. Journal of Nutrition, Education, and Behavior. 2019, Volume 000, pp 1-9 .
Sharma, S.V., Upadhyaya, M., Bounds, G., & Markham, C., A public health opportunity found in food waste. Preventing Chronic Disease. November 2017, Volume 14:160596.
Alcazar, L., Raber, M., Lopez, K., Markham, C., & Sharma, S.V., Examining the impact of a school-based fruit and vegetable co-op in the Hispanic community through documentary photography. Appetite. 2017, Volume 116, pp 115-122.
Sharma, S. V., Chow, J., Pomeroy, M., Raber, Salako, D. O., & Markham, C. Lessons learned from the implementation of Brighter Bites: a food co-op to increase access to fruits and vegetables and nutrition education among low-income children and their families. Journal of School Health. April 2017, Volume 87, Number 4, pp 284-296.
Raber, M., Sharma, S. V., Pomeroy, M., Mody, A., Markham, C., & Lopez, K. K. Brighter Sights: Using Photovoice for a Process Evaluation of a Food Co-op Style Nutrition Intervention. Journal of Health Disparities Research. Fall 2016, Volume 9, Issue 3, pp 20-34.
Sharma, S. V., Markham, C., Chow, J., Ranjit, N., Pomeroy, M., & Raber, M. Evaluating a school-based fruit and vegetable co-op in low-income children: a quasi-experimental study. Preventive Medicine. 2016, Volume 91, pp 8–17.
Sharma, S. V., Markham, C., Helfman, L., Albus, K., Pomeroy, & M, Chuang, R.J. Feasibility and acceptability of Brighter Bites: A food co-op in schools to increase access, continuity and education of fruits and vegetables among low-income populations. Journal of Primary Prevention. 2015, Volume 36, Issue 4, pp 281-286.
Sharma, S., Pomeroy, M., Noyola, J. (December 2020) Supporting Families in Crisis: A rapid assessment methodology to address needs in low-income houses during COVID-19. Webinar presentation through Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living.
Sharma, S.V., Scott, L. (February 2020). Brighter Bites: Improving Community Health by Creating a New Generation of Produce Consumers. Oral presentation at the Association of SNAP Nutrition Education Administrators (ASNNA) Winter Conference in Arlington, VA.
Sharma, S.V. (February 2020). The Impact of Diet on Gut Health and Overall Wellness. Invited Speaker at UTHealth Spring Luncheon in Houston, TX.
Cousins, S., Sharma, S.V. (November 2017). Brighter Bites: Marketing as a catalyst for change. Oral presentation at the American Public Health Association 2017 Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA.
Alcazar, L., Sharma, S.V. (November 2016). Brighter Bites Photovoice: Perspectives from Hispanic participating parents towards the Brighter Bites program. Oral presentation at the American Public Health Association 2016 Annual Meeting in Denver, CO.
Sharma, S., Markham, C., Chow, J., Ranjit, N., Pomeroy, M., & Raber, M. (November 2016). A comparative effectiveness study of Brighter Bites: A food co-op intervention to improve access to fresh F&V and nutrition education among low-income children and families. Oral presentation at the American Public Health Association 2016 Annual Meeting in Denver, CO.
Pomeroy, M. (November 2016). Brighter Bites: Implementing a Food Co-op Concept in Underserved Schools. Oral Presentation at the Southern Obesity Summit in Houston, TX.
Past, Present and Future of SNAP: Evaluating Effectiveness and Outcomes in SNAP-Ed: Hearings before the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, 114th Cong. (June 2016) (Testimony of Shreela Sharma, PhD, RD, LD).
Sharma, S., Markham, C., Chow, J., Pomeroy, M., & Raber M. (October 2015). Efficacy of Brighter Bites: a School-Based Food Co-op Intervention. Poster presentation at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA.
Sharma, S., Markham, C. Helfman, L., Albus, K., Chuang, R.J., & Pomeroy, M. (May 2014). Feasibility and acceptability of Brighterbites, a program increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables and nutrition education among low-income children and their families. Poster presented at the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.
Albus, K., Sharma, S., Markham, C., Helfman, L., & Pomeroy, M. (May 2014). Process evaluation of Brighter Bites pilot study: A community-academic partnership promoting fruit and vegetable intake among low-income, minority populations. Oral presentation at the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA.
Brighter Bites dissemination and scalability study across all Brighter Bites cities.
Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) with pregnant women, mothers, and infants. Collaborators: part of THRIVE coordinated efforts spearheaded by UT Physicians.
The impact of food insecurity on food shopping behaviors and dietary intake behaviors among Brighter Bites participants.
The impact of food insecurity on Brighter Bites families’ program attendance and participation.
We are so honored to be a #KrisStops Mavs Foundation Grant recipient! 💙🤍🏀
This past year, the Dallas Mavericks and Kristaps Porzingis continued the #KrisStops community initiative to fight childhood hunger. For every block Porzingis made during the 2019-2020 season, he personally donated $500 to the MAVS Foundation. This past fall, Brighter Bites was honored to receive $10,000 from this initiative. Thank you @mavsoffcourt @dallasmavs @Kporzee for your generous support for our mission to create communities of fresh food in the Dallas area! We'd say this was a SLAM DUNK for our families! 🏀
#KrisStops #BrighterBites #BrighterBitesDallas #partnership #nonprofit #freshproduce #nutritioneducation
Thank you @sweetgreen for choosing Brighter Bites Austin as a social impact partner this year! 💚
We love getting to share this joy with our Brighter Bites communities in Austin! Thank you for your generous donation of 315 colorful and healthy salads to our Brighter Bites families. 🥗🥬🥑🍅🥦🥕🥒
You sure are making a tasty impact on our communities!
#BrighterBites #SweetGreen #partnership #FreshProduce #FruitsAndVegetables #fruits #vegetables #nonprofit #NutritionEducation #HealthyEating #FunFoodExperience
That's a wrap for our first full week of spring programming in our cities!
This week, our families at Robinson Elementary in Houston, TX received these beautiful boxes full of grapes, carrots, oranges, potatoes, limes, and bananas. What a great variety of produce! So many options to cook up in the kitchen. What would you make with this box of produce?
🍇🥔🥕🍌🍊
#BrighterBites #FreshProduce #FruitsAndVegetables #fruits #vegetables #nonprofit #nutritioneducation
We are kicking off the new year with a classic! 🎉 In honor of National Spaghetti Day 🍝, we are sharing our Homemade Spaghetti Sauce recipe. This recipe is flavorful, easy to make, full of nutrition, and budget-friendly. 🥫🧅🧄🥕It is sure to fit in with all of your new goals this year. 💪
Check out the recipe below and let us know what you think!
INGREDIENTS
•2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
•1 large onion, finely chopped
•1 large carrot, finely chopped
•1 stalk celery, finely chopped
•4 cloves garlic, minced, or ½ tsp garlic powder
•1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
•1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, no salt added
•½ tsp salt
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is beginning to brown (5-8 minutes). Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning; cook for about 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes and cook until thickened (about 4-6 minutes). Stir in salt. Serve over whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash!
NUTRITION FACTS FOR ONE SERVING (approx. ½ cup; makes 10 servings): 45 calories; 9 grams carbohydrate; 1 gram fat; 2 grams protein; 2 grams dietary fiber
Average cost for one recipe: $1.76
#brighterbites #freshproduce #fruits #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking #recipeoftheday #nationalspaghettiday
Happy Holidays from your Brighter Bites family! May your days be merry, healthy, and bright!
¡Felices Fiestas de su familia Brighter Bites! ¡Que sus días sean alegres, saludables y brillantes!
#happyholidays #brighterbites
It's Thankful Thursday, and we could not be more grateful for our Brighter Bites staff. Principal Franklin at Robert Gray Elementary said it so perfectly:
"Thank you again for another wonderful distribution day.
Thank you for making our families feel welcome and providing assistance with a smile.
Thank you for standing in the cold to make sure families are fed.
Thank you for all of the behind the scenes work no one knows about to make distribution days a success."
THANK YOU to all of our Brighter Bites programming staff for your dedication to serving our communities and bringing healthy foods and nutrition education to our families. Thank you! 👏🏽⭐
#brighterbites #ThankfulThursday #nonprofit #NutritionEducation #FreshProduce #fruit #vegetables
It’s National Brownie Day, and you better believe we are celebrating! 🤎 Our Un”Beet”able Brownies are perfectly tasty and nutritious! See the full recipe on our website!
www.brighterbites.org/recipe/unbeetable-brownies/
#brighterbites #nationalbrownieday #brownies #beets #recipeoftheday #healthyrecipe #healthybaking #freshproduce #fruits #vegetables
Tomorrow is International Volunteer Day, and we could not be more excited to highlight our incredible volunteers! 🎉 Volunteers are a crucial part of what we do, and are honored to have so many incredible people come alongside us in our mission. THANK YOU to all of our volunteers past an present. You really are one in a MELON! 🍉❤️
Interested in joining our mission? Sign up to volunteer on our website ➡️ www.brighterbites.org/volunteer
#brighterbites #volunteer #nonprofit #NutritionEducation #FreshProduce #fruit #vegetables #InternationalVolunteerDay
Houston friends!
Are you interested in being a part of what we do in the community? 🍎 We are looking for volunteers to help us box the produce that we distribute to our Brighter Bites families! 📦 🍌🍅🌽🥦 We have volunteer shifts available every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday at the Houston Food Bank. There are limited spots available to ensure that everyone is safe and socially distanced. 6️⃣↔️ Please join us in our mission of creating communities of health through fresh food by bringing fresh fruits and vegetables to kids who need it most!
Sign up on our website ➡️ https://brighterbites.org/volunteer/
#brighterbites #volunteer #nonprofit #nutritioneducation #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables
This Giving Tuesday we are giving thanks to all of our partners, supporters, and friends who have supported us in making our program happen. This year has looked a little bit different, and yet the need has never been higher. With the support so many of you, we have been able to pivot and adapt during these circumstances and serve more families than ever.
• Through your generous giving, we have distributed 615,775 boxes of produce to our Brighter Bites families! This is a 53% increase in boxes distributed between 2019 and 2020.
• Your support has enabled us to give 12.9 MILLION POUNDS of fresh fruits and vegetables this year!! That is a 33% increase in pounds distributed between 2019 and 2020.
We could not reach so many families without the support of so many generous donors, produce partners, program partners, and more. THANK YOU on this Giving Tuesday for giving so much to our Brighter Bites community!
#brighterbites #givingtuesday #nonprofit #nutritioneducation #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables
Looking for some healthy recipes to cook this Thanksgiving?
From apples and Brussels sprouts to potatoes and sweet potatoes, we've got you covered! Before you grocery shop, be sure to look at our healthy holiday sides for some delicious and nutritious bites for the whole family!
• Apple Cake
• Crafty Mac 'n Cheese
• The Perfect Pear and Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Sautéed Brussels Sprouts w/ Apples and Pecans
• Sneaky Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Harvest Salad
And so many more recipes on our website made for YOU!
https://brighterbites.org/recipes/
#brighterbites #recipeoftheday #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking #thanksgivingrecipes #healthysides #JoyofFresh #HaveaPlant
This year, we are wishing you and your family a healthy and safe Thanksgiving. 🧡🍎🌽🍠🥔🥕We can all play a part in making sure our holidays are safe for everyone! The @cdcgov has provided some steps for us all to consider to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 this holiday season.
For more details about how you and your family can stay safe over the holiday, please see the full article here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/thanksgiving.html
Este año, te deseamos a usted y su familia un muy feliz y seguro Thanksgiving. 🧡🍎🌽🍠🥔🥕¡Entre todos podemos hacer nuestra parte para asegurar en tener unas fiestas seguras! @cdcgov ha dado unos consejos para que consideremos para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19 durante estas fiestas. Para mas detalles en como mantener fiestas seguras, por favor haga clic en este articulo: https://espanol.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/thanksgiving.html
Limes and peppers and pears. OH MY! 🍋 🌶️ 🍐
Have you seen our Brighter Bites boxes lately? This produce is GORGEOUS! Each week of programming we give our Brighter Bites families ~50 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. This fall, we are partnered with 114 schools across six cities...now that is a lot of produce!
#brighterbites #nonprofit #nutritioneducation #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking #JoyofFresh #HaveaPlant
“By giving kids access to fresh, nutritious food and showing them how to make the most of it, we help turn healthy habits into something even better: healthy lifestyles.” - Lisa Helfman, Founder
Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands. We teach them how to use it and track their behavior change. We make it fun. We make it free. And we make it happen via a simple, three-part formula: Produce Distribution + Nutrition Education + Fun Food Experience
This #ThankfulThursday we are so grateful for our Brighter Bites families and their loyalty in showing up to try new fruits and vegetables each week. Thank you, Brighter Bites families, for being a part of our community of health through fresh food!
#brighterbites #freshproduce #nonprofit #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking #HaveaPlant #JoyofFresh
November is National Pomegranate Month, and we love how this fruit makes everything pop💥 in color and flavor!
Check out our Popping Pomegranate Salsa🍐 and Sweet Potato Harvest Salad🍠🍎 recipes on our website for a taste of this delicious fruit during its peak season!
#brighterbites #BrighterBitesBrighterHomes #nationalpomegranatemonth #pomegranate #recipeoftheday #healthyrecipes #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking
We are beyond excited to partner with @goodfoods to "Sack Hunger"!🧡 During the 2020 college football season, Good Foods will contribute to Brighter Bites for each sack made by the Arkansas Razorbacks, Minnesota Gophers, and Wisconsin Badgers throughout each game. It is an honor to be a part of this partnership! 🏈🍎🍊🥑
#sackhunger #partnership #nonprofit #brighterbites #freshproduce #nutritioneducation
SPREAD the word! It's National Sandwich Day! 🥪
So, today we are sharing our favorite sandwich spread ➡️ Put-it-on-Anything Pesto. 🌿 We think you'll love it so much that you'll put it on anything! 😉
Full recipe below and up on our website! https://brighterbites.org/recipe/put-it-on-anything-pesto/
INGREDIENTS
• 7 cups of spinach
• ½ cup almonds, whole or crushed
• Juice of one lemon
• ¾ cup of leeks (white and pale green parts)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Thoroughly wash the leeks before using by slicing the leek and placing the sliced pieces into a bowl of water. Once the dirt is removed, dry the sliced leeks in a paper towel. Place the spinach, almonds, and lemon juice in the food processor. Process until finely chopped. Then, add all other ingredients and process until the pesto has a smooth texture. Serve as a spread on sandwiches, a sauce for pasta, a topping for grilled chicken, or as an appetizer with carrot sticks.
#brighterbites #BrighterBitesBrighterHomes #nationalsandwichday #pesto #recipeoftheday #healthyrecipes #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthycooking
No tricks here! Just healthy treats! 🍇🍌🍍🍓
Our DC team dressed up this week as fruits and veggies while distributing fresh fruits and veggies to our families, and we can't think of a better treat than that!
Hope you have a safe and healthy Halloween!
#brighterbites #nonprofit #freshproduce #fruit #vegetables #healthyeating #healthytreats