Get 3 At School and 5+ A Day

Background

Get 3 At School and 5+ A Day is an activity that encourages students to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, with a particular focus on getting at least 3 servings of fruits and vegetables during school breakfast and lunch; getting more is always better. The activity reinforces, in an educational and engaging manner, many of the nutrition messages students have received throughout the year as part of Eat Well & Keep Moving.

Activity Length

The activity runs for an entire school week, beginning on a Monday and ending on a Friday.

Goal

To help students think about and put into practice the Principles of Healthy Living recommendation that they have been exposed to in the classroom and cafeteria, namely, to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

Materials

1. Large Class Tracking Graph example
2. Worksheet 1, My Go for 5+ Tracking Chart
3. Fruit and vegetable recipes for each student. Recipes are available online at the following Web sites:
   • Fruits and Veggies-More Matters (Produce for Better Health Foundation)
   • FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov (CDC)
   • American Institute for Cancer Research
4. Group Tracking Chart
5. Eat Well cards (black and white copies are included in appendix B, pages 572-591)
6. Optional: Recordings of students’ songs about fruits and vegetables (if created in lesson 22, menu monitoring; see page 324)

Procedure

Preparation Day

1. On Monday, announce to the students that they will be taking part in a fruits and vegetables activity over the next 4 days (Tuesday-Friday). The students’ goal is to eat at least 3 servings of fruits and vegetables every day at school (including school lunch and breakfast). They will keep track of the servings they eat on a class chart, and they will try to eat at least 2 additional servings of fruits and vegetables outside of school so that they eat at least 5 servings for the entire day.
2. Review the To Nourish Your Body as Well as Your Soul . . . At Least 5 A Day Should Be Your Goal! Eat Well card. Remind the students of the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables (especially dark-green and orange vegetables). Highlight that fruit provides energy for playing and growing and can help heal cuts and bruises. Likewise, let the students know that vegetables can help them fight infections and see better at night.
3. Create a Large Class Tracking Graph (see example on page 401).
4. During lunch (on Day 1 and throughout the week), you may want to ask the cafeteria manager to play students’ songs about fruits and vegetables (created in lesson 22) over the cafeteria’s public address system; alternatively, you may want to play the songs in the classroom while students write down the number of servings of fruits and vegetables they have had each day (optional).

Day 1

1. Before lunch, divide the students into small groups and distribute the Group Tracking Charts (for an example, see page 403). Explain that the students in each group will help each other keep track of the fruits and vegetables they eat at lunch. (This activity may also be done individually.)
2. Also before lunch, discuss the What a Treat to Eat a Sweet Peach! Eat Well card.
3. After lunch, have the groups write down on their Group Tracking Chart the number of servings of fruits and vegetables each individual in the group ate. Remind the students that they may also count any fruits or vegetables they ate for breakfast (at school or home). Remind the students that potatoes are not the best choice for reaching their 3 At School or 5+ A Day goal. (Potatoes have vitamins and minerals, but they are digested quickly, like white bread or white rice. They should only be eaten, at most, a few times a week, and in small portions. For more information on potatoes and refined carbohydrate, see the background section of Lesson 2, Carb Smart.) Also explain that a small glass of 100% juice can count toward one of the students’ servings of fruits and vegetables during the day, but that whole fruit is an even better choice, since it contains more fiber and is easy to grab on the go (see related Eat Well card, Punch Out Fruit Punch-Pick Whole Fruit). Explain that students should limit 100% juice consumption to no more than 8 ounces per day, since juice is high in natural sugars.
4. Mark the students’ progress on the Large Class Tracking Graph (see example on page 401). You are encouraged to track your consumption along with that of your students.
5. Explain to the students that they should not stop eating fruits and vegetables once they reach the 3 At School goal. They should strive to get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. More is always better.
6. Distribute worksheet 1, My Go for 5+ Tracking Chart, to each student and tell the students that this chart can help them make sure they get at least 5 servings for each day. Explain how to use the chart and encourage them to use their charts at home.

Day 2

1. Before lunch, discuss the Pick Peppers Eat Well card.
2. After lunch, have the student groups write down on their Group Tracking Chart the number of servings of fruits and vegetables each individual in the group ate. Remind the students that they may also count any fruits or vegetables they ate for breakfast (at school or home).
3. Mark the students’ progress on the Large Class Tracking Graph.
4. Remind the students that they should not stop eating fruits and vegetables once they reach the 3 At School goal. They should strive to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day; more is always better.

Day 3

1. Before lunch, discuss the Punch Out Fruit Punch-Pick Whole Fruit Eat Well card. You can introduce this card by asking the students who had 100% orange juice or a whole orange for breakfast.
2. After lunch, have the student groups write down on their Group Tracking Chart the number of servings of fruits and vegetables each individual in the group ate. Remind the students that they may also count any fruits or vegetables they ate for breakfast (at school or home).
3. Mark the students’ progress on the Large Class Tracking Graph.
4. Remind the students that they should not stop eating fruits and vegetables once they reach the 3 At School goal. They should strive to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day; more is always better.

The Final Day-Day 4

1. Before lunch discuss the A Message From Bobby Broccoli Eat Well card.
2. After lunch, have the student groups write down on their Group Tracking Chart the number of servings of fruits and vegetables each individual in the group ate. Remind the students that they may also count any fruits or vegetables they ate for breakfast (at school or home).
3. After lunch, complete the Large Class Tracking Graph and review the final results with the students.
4. Remind the students that eating their fruits and vegetables at lunch and getting at least 5 servings each day is vital for their health and will give them the energy they need to think, run, and play.

Distribute recipes to each participant as a prize for participation. Explain that the students may want to try these recipes at home with the help of their parents or other family members.

Eat Well Cards

To complement the Get 3 At School and 5+ A Day activity, you may discuss Eat Well cards with students right before they go off to lunch on each day of the activity. A black and white copy of each card is provided in appendix B (pages 572-591).
Schedule for Eat Well Cards

Review the Eat Well cards with your students just before they go to lunch.

• Monday, Preparation Day: To Nourish Your Body as Well as Your Soul . . . At Least 5 A Day Should Be Your Goal!
• Tuesday, Day 1: What a Treat to Eat a Sweet Peach!
• Wednesday, Day 2: Pick Peppers
• Thursday, Day 3: Punch Out Fruit Punch-Pick Whole Fruit
• Friday, Day 4: A Message From Bobby Broccoli

This is an excerpt from Eat Well & Keep Moving, Second Edition. For more information on the Eat Well & Keep Moving program, visit EatWellandKeepMoving.org.