HOMELAND STORES PARTNER WITH PRODUCE FOR KIDS® FOR HEALTHY EATING CAMPAIGN TO BENEFIT THE REGIONAL FOOD BANK OF OKLAHOMA

Homeland produce partners unite to raise funds for hunger relief.

The healthy eating-focused Produce for Kids® campaign with Homeland stores launches May 31 and will raise funds for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma’s Food for Kids Program. The Produce for Kids campaign offers Homeland shoppers in-store and online meal solutions, recipes and tips for families looking to embrace healthier eating habits.

The Homeland and Produce for Kids campaign, which will run through June 30, is supported by seven participating fresh fruit and vegetable suppliers, representing every major category of fresh produce. Homeland grocery shoppers are encouraged to support these brands by eating more nutritious fruits and vegetables. Homeland shoppers can also sample simple, healthy Produce for Kids recipes at select stores on June 6.

“At Homeland, our mission is not only to provide our customers with a fresh and healthy experience every time they enter our stores, but to also create strong local communities,” said Alyson Dykstra, registered dietitian at Homeland. “We are proud to partner with Produce for Kids on an effort that encourages our shoppers to introduce fresh fruits and vegetables to their families while supporting local children in need.”

Through partnerships with Produce for Kids, Homeland and select fruit and vegetable companies have raised more than $70,000 to benefit children’s charities. Last year alone, more than $11,000 was donated to Food for Kids to fight childhood hunger in central and western Oklahoma.

In-store displays and signage, featuring characters from the popular family movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, will be displayed in Homeland produce departments and will list all participating companies. The signage will direct shoppers to www.produceforkids.com, which features more than 200 registered dietitian-approved and family-tested recipes, meal planning tools, grocery store specific campaign details, and healthy tips from real parents. Additionally, shoppers will be encouraged to share their own healthy recipes and ideas during the campaign using the hashtag #produceforkids.

Suppliers participating in the Homeland and Produce for Kids campaign include: Columbia Marketing International – Apples; Delano Farms Company – Table Grapes; Growers Vegetable Express – Green Giant® Fresh Cauliflower; Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, Inc. – Melissa’s® Dutch Yellow Potatoes; RedSun Farms® – Greenhouse Grown Tomatoes & Sweet Bell Peppers; Shuman Produce – RealSweet® Vidalia® Onions; and The Produce Exchange – Victory Garden® Greenhouse Vegetables.

“We are proud of our partnership with Homeland to educate families about the benefits of eating nutritious produce as part of a healthy lifestyle,” said John Shuman, president of Produce for Kids. “We are extremely proud of the $5 million we have raised thus far to support local children’s charities, and we are excited to partner with local Feeding America food banks, like the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, to help put an end to childhood hunger.”

Every $200 raised will support a child in Food for Kids for an entire school year. Last school year, the Regional Food Bank provided the equivalent of 2.7 million meals to chronically hungry children through Food for Kids childhood hunger programs: the Backpack Program, Kids Cafe, Summer Feeding, and School Pantries.Through the Backpack

• Program, children receive a backpack full of kid-friendly, non-perishable and nutritious food on Friday to sustain them over weekends and school holidays. Last school year, more than 18,500 students in 501 schools participated in the Backpack Program.
•  The School Pantry Program provides chronically hungry middle and high school students with food to sustain them after school and over the weekends. The School Pantry Program ended last school year serving nearly 4,800 students in 124 middle and high schools.
•  Kids Cafe and Snack Sites, an after-school and summer program provides food, mentoring, tutoring, and a variety of other activities to more than 2,600 at-risk children at 25 sites in central and western Oklahoma.

For more information about the Homeland and Produce for Kids campaign, visit www.produceforkids.com.

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Light & Fresh Potato Salad

Ingredients

1. 2 pounds Melissa’s® Dutch yellow potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2. 1 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 tsp.
3. 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed
4. 1 tablespoon olive oil
5. 1 tablespoon lemon juice
6. 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
7. 2 tablespoons Italian dressing
8. 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
9. 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
10. 1 can quartered artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained
11. 1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
12. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
13. 1 package spinach

Directions

1. Add potatoes and 1 tsp. salt to medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 7-10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Drain potatoes and let cool 30 minutes.
3. Cut off top bud of asparagus spears and place in bowl. Chop rest of spears into 1/4″ pieces ad add to bowl. Mix asparagus, olive oil, lemon juice and ¼ tsp. salt in bowl and allow to marinate. Add Greek yogurt, Italian dressing, mustard and pepper to bowl and stir well. Add artichokes, onion, tomatoes and potatoes and stir to coat.
4. Serve immediately on bed of spinach or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving.