WGC Plans for 2010
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del.icio.usThe Whole Grains Council’s many initiatives help consumers to find whole grain foods and understand their health benefits; help manufacturers and restaurants to create delicious whole grain foods; and help the media to write accurate, compelling stories about whole grains. The table below outlines some of the major projects we plan to undertake in 2010 to achieve these goals.
Grain | Each month in 2010, we'll feature a different whole grain on the WGC website, including information on its health benefits, cooking tips and recipes, historical/cultural facts, and more. The Grain of the Month will give consumers (and media) an opportunity to learn more about all 14 grains featured on the WGC website. Here's the month-by-month schedule:
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Whole | We'll be encouraging all 250 members of the Whole Grains Council to donate whole grains to the good cause of their choice during January, February, and March 2010. This could take many forms, such as: • "adopting" a local homeless shelter by donating enough hot cereal for a week - or a month - of hot, healthy breakfasts We'll log all the donations and report the running total. Our goal is to exceed the 129.9 tons that WGC members donated during a similar two-month Giveaway in 2008! Our new Whole Grains Giveaway will culminate in March, which is National Nutrition Month - a perfect time to make sure that everyone, at every income level, has access to whole grains.
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| School Recipe Collection (late June) | Individual schools, USDA, and the Grains for Health Foundation have all told us that schools have a great need for more kid-tested, foodservice-scale whole grain recipes. After several years of running the Whole Grains Challenge, speaking at the School Nutrition Association's conference, and otherwise supporting schools' whole grain efforts, we've built a solid list of school contacts, all of whom we'll ask to contribute recipes we can collate into a helpful collection. We'll also be working with the School Nutrition Association on this project.
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| Whole Grains Month (Sept) | Recipe makeovers are a popular feature in food magazines such as Cooking Light. Following this model, we'll invite consumers everywhere to send in their favorite non-whole-grain recipe. We'll pick ten that look particularly in need of redemption, and ask our Culinary Advisors to do a whole grain makeover, resulting in a recipe rich in whole grain goodness. As usual, the winners will receive wonderful whole grain prizes – and their made-over recipes will be posted on the WGC website. We will of course be carrying out other promotional efforts to draw attention to Whole Grains Month in September, but the Recipe Makeover will be our consumer centerpiece for 2010.
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| Whole Grains Challenge for Foodservice (Oct) | We initiated our award program for foodservice outlets in 2007 as a one-time event, but it proved so popular we made it an annual celebration of the growing role of whole grains in restaurants, schools, workplaces, and cafeterias.Once again, we'll find the top examples of foodservice operations serving whole grains, and feature them as a positive example to others. We're exploring opportunities with a powerful new partner for this effort, so stay tuned.
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| H.E.A.T Conference (Nov) | On Saturday November 6, the Whole Grains Council will take part in a one-day event organized by Oldways, the WGC's parent organization. We're calling it "Bring on the H.E.A.T. - Healthy, Easy, Affordable, Tasty Food" to call attention to the wealth of foods that meet all four of these descriptors. We'll be running this event to coincide with FNCE, the American Dietetic Association show in Boston. Our goal is to reach Registered Dietitians with cooking demonstrations and a marketplace atmosphere that will highlight the resources available to RDs through all Oldways programs, including the WGC.
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| and More! | In addition to all of the programs above, 2010 will also see the WGC... • Following progress of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, and educating consumers, media, and manufacturers about any new updated recommendations on whole grains; |
