Be a part of the excitement of ChooseMyPlate.gov!

We want to know how you build a healthy plate with fruits and veggies — on a budget. What does YOUR MyPlate look like? Share your most innovative tips, tricks and how-tos. We’re looking for easy and practical tips that anyone can do. Get creative with your video! It can be a song, a skit, or a how-to in action, as long as it includes useful information on how to eat more fruits and vegetables on a budget.

Keep things simple — each video should focus on just one tip and must include the message "Make half your plate fruits and vegetables." To get started, review the requirements and ideas below.

Video Requirements

Please see the Official Rules for complete guidelines and requirements. Here’s a summary of the key requirements:

All submissions must be in English
Each video should be approximately 30 seconds long
Each video must focus on only one (1) tip in one (1) category. The tip or how-to must be realistic and practical, geared toward the general public.
The three submission categories are: (1) Tips for kids; (2) Tips when eating at home; (3) Tips when eating away from home. Choose one category.
Videos must follow certain nutritional criteria, including:

Must focus on how to eat more fruits and vegetables in a healthy and low-cost manner
Must communicate messages or images consistent with recommendations from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and www.ChooseMyPlate.gov
Must not contain fried foods, high-fat sauces (e.g., cheese sauce, Alfredo sauce), foods high in added sugar or solid fats (e.g., cakes, cookies, pies), disguised fruits and vegetables, and/or recipes
Must not contain any commercial food businesses, product placement, restaurants, industry names, brand names, logos or trademarks

All submissions must include, at any point during the video, the message "Make half your plate fruits and vegetables" and must direct people to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov for more information
Participants may submit multiple videos — but each video can only be nominated and awarded in one (1) category
Team members must be at least 18, but your video can include minors under 18 as long as the necessary consent forms are provided. ("Team members" do not include people who appear in the video but don't make any other contributions to the submission.) For details on eligibility, review the Official Rules.
All individuals who appear in the video must complete and sign the Video Consent Form. If children under the age of 18 appear in the video, each child’s parent or guardian must fill out and sign the form.

Restrictions

The video cannot have been submitted previously in a promotion or contest of any kind, or previously exhibited or displayed publicly through any means
The video should not include any personal identification information about those in the video (i.e., name, address, social security number, etc.)
The video must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, including but not limited to privacy, publicity, or intellectual property rights, or material that constitutes copyright or license infringement
The video must not contain material that is inappropriate, indecent, obscene, hateful, defamatory, slanderous, or libelous
The video must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred, or harm against any group or individual, or that promotes discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age
The video must not contain material that is unlawful, i.e., in violation of or contrary to the laws or regulations in any state where the video is created

Videos that do not meet these requirements will not be eligible to enter the contest. The posting of videos is at the discretion of the judges; there is no guarantee that all submissions will be posted on the challenge website.

Resources for Ideas

You can create a video to highlight any idea you have or any steps you’ve taken to add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. Keep in mind, though, that the judging criteria include the potential overall impact of your idea on healthy eating habits. Covering your veggies in cheese sauce or eating an entire carrot cake might be delicious and fit your budget, but may not provide the kinds of benefits that will help you achieve or maintain good health.

If you’re looking for ideas or inspiration, here are some great places to start:

USDA sites

ChooseMyPlate.gov
Tips to help you eat vegetables
What foods are in the vegetable group?
Tips to help you eat fruits
Add more vegetables to your day
Focus on fruits
Smart shopping for veggies and fruits
Build a healthy meal
Let’s eat for the health of it
Be a healthy role model for children
Eat right when money’s tight
FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov (Centers for Disease Control)
Fruits & Vegetables Galore: Helping Kids Eat More
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
Educational Materials
30 ways in 30 days to Stretch Your Fruit & Vegetable Budget
Fruits and Vegetables on a Budget