Fruits and Vegetables

Transcription

1 Fruits and Vegetables Getting Ready Review Lesson Plan before each session. Copy handouts and follow-up questions. Gather supplies needed for lesson and activities. Supplies Needed Handouts Food Sources of Vitamins Getting the Most For Your Money Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables Fruits and Vegetables Questions A poster of the Food Guide Pyramid Supplies for activity Small pieces of paper (~3 x3 ) with a color of a fruit or vegetable written on each (red, green, yellow, orange, purple, white). A small container such as a basket or box to put pieces of paper into Beginning the Lesson Introduce yourself by name and the organization you represent. Summarize the lesson by giving the objectives. Let the group know the lesson will be informal and they can ask questions anytime. Objectives 1. Participants will understand where fruits and vegetables fit in the Food Guide Pyramid and how many servings are recommended daily. 2. Participants will understand the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. 3. Participants will recognize the benefits of phytochemicals in fruits and vegetables. 4. Participants will be able to identify which fruits and vegetables are in season and why it is best to buy produce in season. Activity The purpose of this activity is to reinforce that there are a variety of fruits and vegetables, and that varying vegetable colors ensures we eat a variety of nutrients. Participants will be asked to name a fruit or vegetable based on the color. Before the lesson, write down several common colors of fruits and vegetables on small pieces of paper (i.e., red, green, yellow, orange, purple, white). Fold the papers and drop them in a small container (a small basket or box would be fine.) January 2001, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA

2 To play the game, pass the basket around the group and let each person select a color and name a fruit or vegetable of that color. Each person might also tell the group when was the last time they ate the food. After his/her turn, the participant puts the paper back in the basket and passes it to the next person. Script Everyone seems to be really talking about fruits and vegetables lately. Do you know why? Fruits and vegetables contain many of the vitamins and minerals that we need each day. Did you know that we are supposed to eat more servings of fruits and vegetables a day than meat and dairy products? Who knows how many servings of fruits and vegetables we should eat each day? (Answer = 5) Food Guide Pyramid Let s take a look at the Food Guide Pyramid. Nutritionists have arranged these groups of foods in a pyramid shape to help us see the amount we need to eat. The pyramid is largest at the bottom. This layer is made up of breads, cereals, pasta, or spaghetti, and crackers. Most of our food should come from this group - about 6 to 11 servings a day. The next layer is a little smaller. This layer makes up the vegetables and fruits. Most people should make an effort to eat more vegetables and fruits because they supply lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber without much fat. Have you ever heard the phrase Five-A-Day? Five-A-Day means that we should eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruit each day. Think for a minute about what you ate yesterday. How many of you ate five fruits and vegetables yesterday? Teaching tip: Get out Food Guide Pyramid poster. Use it to show fruit and vegetable servings. Following the pyramid guidelines helps make sure we eat the right balance of foods to meet our daily needs and protect us from disease. Benefits What kinds of fruits and vegetables do you eat? Each kind has a different mix of vitamins and minerals in it. Vegetables give us most of our vitamin A. This helps keep our eyes and skin healthy. It also may prevent us from getting certain cancers and other diseases of aging. Most of the vitamin A comes from yellow and dark green vegetables. What vegetables do you eat that are good sources of vitamin A? (Squash, broccoli, carrots, collard greens, sweet potatoes, asparagus) We can also get vitamin A in fruits such as peaches, nectarines, and cantaloupe. January 2001, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA

3 Vitamin C is another vitamin found in vegetables and fruit. We often think just of orange juice and citrus fruits when we talk about vitamin C but it s also found in vegetables such as cabbage, peppers, broccoli, potatoes, and tomatoes. It helps our bodies absorb iron from the food we eat, and it helps heal cuts and burns. Let s take a look at the handout titled Food Sources for Vitamins. In addition to vitamins A & C, fruits and vegetables have other vitamins such as vitamin K & E, the B-vitamins, and Folate. Teaching tip: Review handout Sources for Vitamins Fiber is another big benefit we get from eating fruits and vegetables. Why do you think fiber is good for us? Some fiber is not even absorbed by the body; it acts like a broom sweeping wastes out of our bodies. Fiber can help make us more regular by preventing constipation. Fiber depends on water to work best though, so make sure you drink 8 glasses of water every day. Almost all fruits and vegetables have fiber in them. However, raw and unpeeled fruits and vegetables will have more fiber than, for instance, a peeled apple, or cooked carrots. Can you guess how much fiber is in one whole apple? It has 4 grams. (We should eat of fiber grams per day.) But a peeled apple only has about 2 grams, and apple juice has less than 1 gram. Phytochemicals Another benefit of eating fruits and vegetables is the phytochemicals within them. The word "phytochemical" may be new to you, and that s ok, they are a relatively new discovery. Phyto is Greek for plant. In addition to the vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals might help protect against cancer and heart disease. All plant foods are rich in phytochemicals. Fruits and vegetables are especially full of them. Phytochemicals are also found in grains and beans, but they are not found in most vitamin or mineral supplements. So, this is one more reason to choose a wide variety of nutritious fruits and vegetables every day rather than depending on only a few foods or on a vitamin pill. Researchers have found over and over that the more fruits and vegetables we eat, the lower our risk of developing cancer. But these phytochemicals can t help you fight cancer if they remain on the grocery store shelf instead of on your plate! Some good examples of phyte foods are onion, garlic, and shallots because they help protect against cancer. Carrots, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, citrus fruits, and grapes help prevent heart disease. And broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and collards contain phytochemicals that help protect against other types of cancer such as breast and colon cancer. You don t have to remember which foods do what, just remember to choose a variety of fruits and vegetables so you will get a variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. January 2001, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA

4 Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables Since different fruits and vegetables are grown during different seasons, it is easier to get certain foods during Spring and others in Summer or Fall. We can usually get all fruits and vegetables throughout the year but if they are not in season they ll be much more expensive. How many of you have grown a garden during some time in your life? Most people who have grown vegetable gardens or raised fruit trees and vines know which seasons are best for the different kinds of fruits and vegetables. What are some of your favorite fruits or vegetables? And when is it easiest to get them? Let s take a look at the handout titled Getting the Most for Your Money. Teaching tip: Review handout Getting the Most for Your Money and the guidelines at the bottom. The script does not elaborate on serving sizes because of the time factor. However, it may be very useful to take along some food models of fruits and vegetables, as well as juices, to show participants what a serving size is. Resources Food and Nutrition Education for Good Health. The University of Georgia; Cooperative Extension Service Kotschevar, Lendal, Ph.D., and Richard Donnelly. Quantity Food Purchasing, 4th ed. NewYork: Macmillan Publishing Company, Mahan, L.K., and S. Escott-Stump. Foods, Nutrition, & Diet Therapy, 9th ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, Molt, Mary, Ph.D. Food for Fifty, 10th ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1997 If you have access to the internet and would like more information or recipes on fruits and vegetables, log on to January 2001, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA

5 This material, including artwork, was developed with support from the Department of Foods and Nutrition at The University of Georgia, the Northeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging and the USDA Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program. Permission is granted to reproduce, translate, abstract, review or quote these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost of reproduction) provided that the author(s) and The University of Georgia receive acknowledgement as shown in this example notice: Reprinted with permission from The University of Georgia, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Athens, GA. Authors, Title, Date. Stacy Nix RD, Susan Stone, RD UGA is EEO/AA January 2001, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA

6 Food Sources of Vitamins Vitamin Benefits Sources Vitamin A Night vision Sweet Potato Spinach Cantaloupe Carrots Squash Vitamin D Bone health Salmon Sardines Egg Yolk Milk Liver Vitamin K Blood clotting; Bone health Spinach Broccoli Turnip Greens Kale Cabbage Lettuce Vitamin C Antioxidant; Helps immune system Broccoli Tomatoes Cantaloupe Oranges Collards Vitamin E Antioxidant; Helps protect blood cells Corn oil Sunflower oil Soybean oil Nuts Vitamin B6 Metabolism; Energy use Liver, beef Banana Brown rice Oatmeal Potatoes Folate Formation of red and white blood cells Yeast Spinach Broccoli Liver, beef White beans Orange juice January 2001, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA

7 Getting the Most for Your Money ~ When to Buy Produce Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Broccoli Broccoli Carrots Cabbage Cabbage Cucumbers Peas Potatoes Corn Apples Bananas Cantaloupe Blueberries Grapes Strawberries Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec January 2001, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA

8 Fruits Apples: Golden Delicious Jonathan Oranges Grapefruit, Florida Peaches Strawberries Apricots Plums Watermelon Pineapple Cantaloupes Oct Apr Sep-Dec Dec-Mar Oct-Jun Jul-Sep Mar-Apr Jun-Aug May-Sep Jul-Aug Mar-Jun Jun- Aug Vegetables Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Sweet Potato Lettuce Onion, dry Bell Pepper Tomatoes Cucumbers Mar Apr Jan-May May-Jul Jan-Mar Oct-Feb All year May-Jun Aug-Nov Jul-Oct Apr-Sep January 2001, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA

9 Make fruits and vegetables a healthful part of your diet! Fresh, frozen, or canned all are good for you! Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to get a variety of nutrients. Always wash fresh produce in cool water. If you add fat during cooking or at the table, use small amounts. To retain more nutrients, steam or microwave vegetables instead of boiling. Choose at least one green and one orange colored fruit or vegetable daily. Choose fresh fruits whenever possible. Recipe for Garden Vegetable Cole Slaw Prep: 15 minutes Makes: 8 servings 4 cups shredded cabbage 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes 1cups raw broccoli flowerets 2 tbs. cup olive oil 1/2 cup sliced celery 2 tbs. vinegar 2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard 1 tsp. garlic powder Directions: 1. Combine cabbage, broccoli, celery, and tomatoes in a large serving bowl. 2. Stir together oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic powder in a small bowl. 3. Pour this mixture over the salad and stir in. Nutritional information per serving: 79 calories, 7 g fat (1 g sat), 0 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium January 2001, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA

10 Name: County: Date: Age: Fruits and Vegetables Questions Please Circle Your Answers 1. I learned something new today. No Yes 2. I eat five fruits and vegetables each day. No Yes 3. I will wash my fruits and vegetables in water before I eat them. No Yes 4. Circle the vegetables that you enjoy eating: Green beans Turnip Greens Carrots Broccoli Cabbage Tomatoes Sweet Potatoes Spinach Cauliflower Cucumbers 5. Circle the fruits that you enjoy eating: Oranges Apples Grapes Pineapple Bananas Peaches Strawberries Watermelon Cantaloupe Apricots January 2001, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA