College of Health

In 2012, Americans spent approximately 42% of their household food budget eating away from home, a factor linked to reduced fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Conversely, when individuals and families prepare food at home, they have higher diet quality, including FV intake. Researchers recommend that efforts to encourage healthy eating focus on promoting home food preparation and offering FV in multiple food environments (eg, home, schools, and work)

The Oregon State University Extension Service developed the Food Hero social marketing campaign to increase FV consumption of Oregon residents eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Per the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a central aim of Food Hero is to reach target families using a socioecological framework that includes multiple elements of society. A major component of the campaign is its ongoing recipe project. The Food Herosocial marketing campaign began in 2009, whereas recipe development has been ongoing since the inception of the Oregon Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program in the late 1960s. The FV-focused recipe project strategically formulates and shares recipes to help families and foodservice sites successfully access and prepare healthy recipes.