“5-a-Day”

Feed ME: Bringing Food Education to Maine Schools

Lesson 3

Approximate teaching time: 30-45 minutes

Teachers will need:

This lesson will enable student to:

  • Explain why eating fruits and vegetables is important;
  • Plan a daily menu that includes at least two fruits and three vegetables;
  • Try fruits and vegetables and learn their names.

This lesson meets these national and state standards:

Maine State Learning Results, Health Education Grades 3-5

  • 5adaynewA1, Healthy Behaviors and Personal Health: Students explain the relationship between healthy behaviors and personal health.
  • A6, Basic Health Concepts: Students define basic health concepts related to … nutrition.
  • C1, Healthy Practices and Behaviors: Students demonstrate age-appropriate healthy practices to maintain or improve personal health. A. Design healthy menus.
  • F1, Decision-Making: Students apply decision-making steps to enhance health. A. Identify health-related situations that might require a thoughtful decision. C. Choose a healthy option when making a decision.

CDC’s Healthy Behavior Outcomes

  • HBO 3. Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables every day.

CDC’s Grades 3-5 Knowledge Expectations

  • HE 1.5.3: Describe the benefits of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
  • HE 1.5.16: Describe the benefits of eating healthy.

Key:

Normal font (script)          Italicized font (actions)          Bold font (questions)

 

“5-a-Day”

Slide 1

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Slide 1

Distribute What They Do For Me Handout.

Last class, you learned about the Food Pyramid. You discovered that fruits and vegetables are two of the most important food groups in the pyramid. They provide many vitamins and minerals that are essential for your health, as well as fiber, which aids in digestion. Some of the most important vitamins you can get from fruits and vegetables are vitamin A and vitamin C.

 

Slide 2

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Slide 2

Vitamin A is found in carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, and spinach. It helps you see at night and gives you healthy skin. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, strawberries, broccoli, bell peppers, and tomatoes. It keeps your skin and gums healthy.

 

Slide 3

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Slide 3

Some of the important minerals you can get from fruits and vegetables include calcium and iron. Calcium is found in milk, cheese, yogurt, and greens. It gives you strong bones and teeth. Iron is found in red meat, wheat bread, and spinach. It makes it easier for blood to travel throughout your body. All of this information is on the handout I gave you earlier if you would like to review it later.

 

Slide 4

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Slide 4

You should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

If you think that you eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, then raise your hand.

Five servings might sound like a lot, especially if you don’t love fruits or vegetables, but if you divide them up throughout the day, then it’s easy to get your “5-a-Day.”

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Activity 1:

(Eat Well and Keep Moving inspired this activity.)

Distribute Plan a Menu Handout.

We are going to work in pairs to plan a menu that allows us to get “5-a-Day.” Using this handout, I would like you to design a menu that includes at least two fruits and three vegetables. Your challenge is to spread these fruits and vegetables out over the day. Include them in your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can also put dishes that include fruits or vegetables, such as an omelet with vegetables, on your menu. Let’s practice before we begin.

Who can give me an example of a fruit or a vegetable that they would eat at breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?

Have pairs complete their menus and then share them with one another. Ask for a few volunteers to share their menus with the class.

 

Activity 2:

I brought in some fruits and vegetables today for the class to enjoy.

Set out pre-cut fruits and vegetables in labeled containers on a large table and distribute napkins, cups, or plates that the students can use to hold their food.

There may be some fruits and vegetables on the table in front of you that you have never tried. I encourage you to taste each of the fruits and vegetables, even if you’re not sure that you will like them. You might discover that you like something new and will want to try to incorporate it into your “5-a-Day.”

Call children to the table to pick out the fruits and vegetables that they would like to try. Wait until they are done eating.

Does anyone want to share his or her favorite fruit or vegetable? What did you like about it? Did you try anything new? Will you try to incorporate any of these fruits and vegetables into your “5-a-Day?” How?

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