The Flying Carrot Hits the Big Time! Pro Cycling Challenge 2012

The Flying Carrot was fortunate enough to be a vendor at the Pro Cycling Challenge Finish Festival in downtown Colorado Springs. This being the first really big event for the bus, we wanted to show up with an exhibit that could not be ignored. Given the popularity of the event, we knew that we would have the opportunity to spread our nutrition message to hundreds of people of all ages. Since most attendants were cycling enthusiasts, we placed a major focus on sports nutrition as a platform for promoting whole foods nutrition and eating local and in-season. The blender bike made its debut and was an instant hit among all who stopped by our booth. Volunteers whipped up mixed berry beet recovery smoothies and we heard many exclamations of "There's beet in this? I don't like beets, but this tastes sooo good!" This presented an excellent opportunity to teach people about how beets may enhance sports performance as well as about how to cook and where to find locally grown beets (ours came from Harlan Wolfe Ranch). 

This time of year, Colorado farms are laden with ripe, delicious produce. To highlight this seasonal and local bounty we prepared a peach salsa (featuring Colorado peaches, cilantro, and jalapeno) and a grilled corn salsa (featuring Colorado tomatoes, corn, basil, and jalapeno) for sampling. We also introduced "veggie cards," a series of educational cards that discuss the history and health benefits of individual vegetables or fruits that grow in Colorado and provide advice on planting/growing and cooking. Other activities included a vegetable identification challenge (a timed game that required participants to gather as many veggies in their arms as possible then identify the ones they recognized and learn about those they did not recognize) and the healthy plate art project. 

The event was a huge success and created great exposure for the Flying Carrot nutrition education project! 

I have many more photos to share, but for now I'll leave you with one last shot. Don't you just love how food brings people together??