- About
- Environmental Standards
- Getting Other Staff on Board
- Articles, Emails, and Handouts
- Unit 1: Fruits and Vegetables
- Unit 2: Get Moving
- Unit 3: Be Sugar Smart
- Unit 4: Go for Good Fat
- Unit 5: Go for Whole Grains
- Unit 6: Super Snacks
- Unit 7: Fruits and Veggies Mix it Up
- Unit 8: Tune Out TV
- Unit 9: Play Hard
- Unit 10: Hydration
- Unit 11: Finale
- Recipe Packet
- Complete Curriculum
Unit 7 Information for Leaders
To view the individual activities for this unit, click on them in the highlighted orange box to the left
A PDF version of this unit is available here.Behavior Goal
Children will eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Key Messages for Kids
- Go for five or more! 5 servings of fruits and vegetables (combined) each day.
- Try to eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal and snack.
- Fruits and vegetables come in lots of colors. Try to eat as many different colors as you can.
Key Information for Program Staff
Fruits and vegetables are important foods to include in a healthy diet, but many children (and adults!) eat much less than the recommended 5 or more servings each day. Fruits and vegetables are packed with lots of vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins A, B (folate) and C, and minerals such as potassium and even calcium. Fruits and vegetables are also a great source of fiber, which helps you feel full.
Fruits and vegetables come in many different colors, and each color brings with it nutrients that other colors may not offer. For instance, deep orange and yellow produce such as cantaloupe, carrots, and sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A, while citrus fruits like oranges and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli contain vitamin C. Broccoli and dark leafy greens like kale provide calcium. Bananas are great sources of potassium.
Encourage children to eat a variety of different fruits and vegetables so they get all the vitamins and nutrients they need to be healthy. Tell children it is fun to try new fruits and vegetables, and they taste great! Striving for variety also means you should also try to incorporate fruits and vegetables that are relevant to the lives of the children you serve. Take time to talk to kids about the kinds of fruits and vegetables they eat at home and make sure to incorporate them into your snacks and activities in this unit.
Refer to the "Fruits & Veggies!" Tip Sheet for ideas on how to serve fruits and vegetables for snack at your afterschool program.
- Refer to the Fruits and Veggies Tip Sheet PDF for ideas on how to serve fruits and vegetables for snack at your afterschool program.
- The browser version of this tip sheet is located here
- The fast map for this unit is available here
- The browser version of this fast map is available here