BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has launched “Create Your Plate,” a contest designed to inspire people across the state to think about healthy living and what they eat.
“Our goal is to reduce and even prevent the occurrence of childhood obesity,” said Kathy Bingham, manager of BlueCross’ Tennessee Health Foundation.
“This contest is a fun, impactful way to spread a good nutritional message and encourage healthy eating habits among our children.”
There are four categories, and each category will have two winners—$500 for first place and $250 for second place.
The entry period is April 2-May 11 at ShapetheState.com, the website for the Tennessee Health Foundation’s program, Shape the State. Beyond individual prizes, the contest provides an opportunity for entrants to nominate a favorite school to win cash prizes.
Through Shape the State, the Tennessee Health Foundation already has a relationship with 20 schools across the state that each received a $10,000 grant in 2011 to improve its physical education program. The Shape the State school with the most Create Your Plate entrants will receive a $2,500 cash award.
Everyone who enters the contest can also enter another local school (grades K-12) not currently in the Shape the State program, to win a $1,000 cash award. The school with the most entrants wins. The contest is designed to give entrants plenty of creative menu options when crafting a lunch idea. The categories are:
· Cost Savvy: An inexpensive lunch idea that includes the cost to prepare the meal.
· Easy Breezy: A quick and easy lunch with the time it takes to make the plate.
· School’s In: A fun and easy “kid-approved” lunch that students would love to eat in the school cafeteria.
· Sky’s the Limit: A healthy, well balanced lunch idea that does not require following MyPlate guidelines.
Entry criteria are based on following the U.S. Department of Agriculture MyPlate dietary guidelines. MyPlate emphasizes using the fruit, vegetable, protein, grain and calcium food groups when planning a meal.