After the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden became a Let’s Move affiliate we tried to think of ways that we could make a difference in the lives of our visitors by educating them about healthy eating. The perfect fit for us was the Eat Like an Animal initiative. Animals tend to eat what is good for them, just like all of the animals we have at the Zoo. You won’t see our animals snacking on unhealthy foods – most of the animals at the Zoo eat a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and grains – Just as humans should! The Eat Like an Animal program reaches over 1,000,000 visitors a year in a variety of ways. We’ve developed special education programs like – You are What you Eat and Zoo Gourmet as well as adding a free fruit bin in our Education Center lobby so that visitors can have a healthy snack. We’ve added an Eat Like an Animal webpage to our website that is full of valuable information and other resources as well as a fun game inspired by healthy eating. Included on the webpage are several YouTube videos we have produced explaining the benefits of eating like an animal. We’ve also added more healthy options at the Zoo restaurant and have plans to open a new Marketplace food stand this spring that will offer fresh fruits and vegetables and other healthy snacks and drinks. Our motto at the Cincinnati Zoo has become let’s move like an animal and let’s eat like an animal too!