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Division of Nutrition Assistance
The Five a Day Club
Directions for Design
A large apple with the words "The 5-A-Day Club" is posted on the bulletin
board. The apple is surrounded by a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Suggested Materials
- Illustrations of large red apple and smaller fruits and vegetables
- Markers for lettering or prepared letters
Learning Activities
1. Identify different fruits and vegetables.
Ask students to call out some of their favorite fruits and vegetables.
List these foods on the chalkboard. Have the students trace, color,
and cut out fruits onto construction paper using the models from the bulletin
board idea, or color large pictures of computer-generated graphics representing
these foods and place the pictures around the apple. Take a survey
of the students and determine the three most popular fruits and vegetables.
Discuss that fruits and vegetables are important because they
- are low in fat, sodium, and calories.
- provide fiber to the diet.
- have no cholesterol.
- are good sources of vitamin C.
- are good sources of beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in thebody.
- provide other vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium,and potassium.
- promote good dental health. Raw fruits and vegetables exercise teethand gums.
- are economical. Choose from fresh, frozen, canned, and dried versions.
2. Discuss the meaning of 5-A-Day.
Encourage students to join “The 5-A- Day Club” and do the following:
- Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
- Each day eat at least one food providing beta carotene, used to make vitaminA.
- Examples include apricot, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrot, mustard greens,and sweet potatoes.
- Eat at least one vitamin C-rich food each day. Examples include broccoli,grapefruit, mustard greens, orange, pineapple, potato, and strawberries.
- Eat at least one high-fiber fruit or vegetable each day.
- Examples include, blackberries, kiwi, raspberries, grapefruit, orange,lima beans, spinach, and sweet potatoes.
- Eat cruciferous (cabbage family) vegetables several times a week. Examples include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, mustardgreens, and turnip greens.
3. What is a serving?
1 serving equals:
1 medium fruit or ½ cup of small or cut-up fruit
¾ cup 100% fruit juice
¼ cup dried fruit
½ cup raw or cooked vegetables
1 cup raw leafy vegetables (lettuce or spinach)
½ cup cooked beans or peas (lentils, pinto beans, red beans)
4. Initiate a 5-A-Day Club pledge week activity.
(Teachers: This activity is a good behavior modification technique.
It gives students specific directions on how to achieve their goals. )
Ask students to pledge to eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day
for one week. Discuss with the students how they will meet their
goals. Five suggested specific behaviors are listed below.
- Apples – Select and eat a fruit or vegetable at school lunch each day.
- Pear – Eat one or two fresh fruits and vegetables each day.
- Bananas – Try a new fruit or vegetable this week.
- Broccoli – Eat a fruit or vegetable for a snack three days this week.
- Carrot – Drink 100% fruit juice instead of a soda three times this week.
Ask each student to cut out the fruit or vegetable that corresponds with
the behavior each has selected. Have each student write his or her
name on the fruit or vegetable. Arrange the fruit and vegetables
around the 5-A-Day Club apple. Students are to keep a fruit and vegetable
diary for five days, including snacks. Ask how many students achieved
their goals. Note that eating five fruits and vegetables every day
is a goal to have for a lifetime, not just for one week.
5. Write fruit and vegetable public service announcements (PSAs).
Have students visit the Dole
5-A-Day Web site or the National
Cancer Institute Web site to learn interesting facts about certain
fruits and vegetables that are served during the week in the cafeteria.
Have students write short, 30-second PSA’s that can be shared with
the class or read over the intercom to the entire school.
6. Grow fruits and vegetables in the classroom.
Choose one or more of the following projects.
- Plant a carrot top.
- Plant a turnip top.
- Plant a pineapple top.
- Sprout a potato (don’t eat potato sprouts).
- Sprout an avocado in a jar.
- Sprout a bean.
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