Overcoming a bad reputation

As a small group leader for a First Place 4 Health class I feel it's my responsibility to inform, inspire and encourage the class members. One of my more popular efforts to this end is "The Snack".  Each week I bring a low calorie, healthy snack for the ladies to take home.  It's my way of helping them keep focused and on track throughout the week; and to encourage them to try something new.

Last week I brought Sunsweet Prunes.  The super fruit. The misunderstood fruit.

Now the ladies in my group are pretty savvy.  This isn't their first go-round with making healthy choices and I can proudly say that they all enthusiastically claimed four of the single wrapped fruit for their snack the next day.

Little did I know that the left overs would turn into such interesting fodder at work.

I took the extras and placed them in my candy dish at work.

Oh my goodness the reactions have been hilarious!

My first observation -- people mindless pick up food and put it in their mouth without thinking.  More than one person tore open the wrapper and popped it into their mouth thinking it was chocolate, not a prune.  The facial expressions have been priceless and it's been a toss up as to whether they kept chewing or spit it out.

My second observation -- many of my co-workers rejected the prune because they didn't THINK they would like it.  In other words, these grown ups had never tasted one.

Once I discovered that they were rejecting the idea of even TRYING one of the sweet offerings I asked why and got answers like, "They will make me go to the bathroom." (Excuse me, but I never thought that was a bad thing.) "They taste like raisins and I don't like raisins." (No they don't, they are 100x better than raisins (sorry raisins))

I admit I was shocked that the prune had such a bad rep with my co-workers.  After all I'm working with professionals associated with the health care industry.  I'm working with people who should know that the prune packs a lot of sweet, chewy nutrition and it's far-far better for them than the donuts, cookies and cakes that grace our office way too often.

Copied from the Sunsweet web site, you can see the poor misunderstood prune gets little credit for being filled with:

Potassium

Potassium may help prevent hypertension and stroke and play a role in helping support cell energy by regulating fluid balance, nerve impulses and muscle contraction to increase energy.

Fiber

A diet containing foods with fiber can replace fats and sweets.

Blood Sugar Control

Soluble fiber may help play an important role in glucose control, helping to normalize blood sugar and insulin levels making diabetes more manageable.

Regularity

A fiber rich diet may contribute to maintaining a consistent digestive tract which helps lead to improved digestive health.

Four prunes = 100 calories

I have managed to convert a few people, but clearly the prune has some work to do to improve it's reputation.