Celebrating the Fruit & Veggies Day

A basket filled with red and yellow apples, surrounded by green peppers, leafy vegetables, and other plant-based products.
The hallway of the Didactic Center turned into one big fruit and vegetables market. Guests could taste the products and discuss healthy eating with the scientists and students from the Faculty of Health Sciences.

This is the third time that we held the Fruit & Veggies Day. This year, the motto was “The Power of Polish Vegetables”.

We want to promote Polish fruit and vegetables, starting from the local community, that is the university community – our students, teachers, administrative staff, says Beata Sińska, PhD Hab., from the Department of Human Nutrition.

Promoting Polish Products

Why do our experts want to promote Polish products?

It is important to think about local producers, local products, the low carbon footprint, the seasonality – or the varying availability of various kinds of fruits and vegetables depending on the time of year,” says Professor Mariusz Panczyk from the Department of Education and Research in Health Sciences. “So we interpret the motto of ‘The Power of Polish Vegetables’ at several levels. Nowadays, everything is available – but this does not mean that vegetables imported from Egypt or Türkiye have the same nutritional value as the ones grown locally, in Poland.

Tasting and Conversations about Healthy Eating 

The event was an opportunity to try some delicious, crunchy, fresh vegetables, sprinkled with oil or served with herbal dips. There was also a wide selection of fruit available. Fans of dietary curiosities could taste mini-kiwis or chocolate-covered chokeberry, recommended even by our experts.

There are many products known as ‘guilty pleasure’, which, when prepared with high-quality ingredients, may have some value and deserve a place in our everyday diet. And we are talking about a diverse balanced diet, Professor Panczyk emphasized. 

Experts pointed out that Poles definitely eat too little fiber, which is hugely important for our health. That is why it is worth adopting the rule of “One Apple a Day”.

Apples have a huge amount of pectins and other fiber-based substances, which have a positive influence on our digestive system and glycemia,” said Professor Panczyk.

The importance of fruit and vegetables in our daily diet cannot be overstated. Ideally, eating them should be a habit. Yet that requires education, also in its lighter forms such as Fruit & Veggies Days. When asked what “takeaways” she would like participants to leave with, Barbara Sińska, PhD Hab., replied: 

I would like everyone to leave with a tray of raw vegetables. And with an enthusiasm that will make them encourage everyone to take them.

Event organizers: Department of Human Nutrition (Beata Sińska, PhD Hab.), Department of Clinical Dietetics (Agnieszka Bzikowska-Jura, PhD Hab.) and Department of Education and Research in Health Sciences (Professor Mariusz Panczyk).
Products supplied by: National Union of Fruit and Vegetable Producer Groups, National Union of Juice Producers.
 

A table with a variety of fresh vegetables and small plates with sliced vegetables and dipping sauce. The table includes tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, pumpkins, and zucchinis.
Three people are standing behind a table with small plates full of fresh vegetables and cups. The woman on the left is holding an apple, the person in the middle is holding a small pumpkin, and the woman on the right is holding a large pumpkin.
A woman with short white hair and glasses on her head, wearing a white shirt with black and red dots, is standing next to a man with glasses, dressed in an orange T-shirt and a dark blazer. They are speaking into a voice recorder.
A group of people gathered around a table with fruits, vegetables, and other food products.
A group of people gathered around a table with plates full of sliced fruits and vegetables, as well as whole apples, peppers, and leafy vegetables.