Go for 2&5
Fruit and vegetables provide essential nutrients for healthy growth and development, and to protect against many diseases. Children should eat a variety of colourful vegetables and fruit each day to give them energy for active play.
Introduction
It is essential for everyone to eat a variety of raw and cooked fruit and vegetables every day. The amount of fruit and vegetables recommended for children depends on age, appetite and activity levels.
| Age |
Fruit (serves) |
Vegetables (serve) |
| 4-7 |
1-2 |
2-4 |
| 8-11 |
1-2 |
3-5 |
It is important to understand the size of a serve. For children, one serve of fruit is equal to one medium piece, 2 small pieces or 1 cup of chopped fruit or about 1 tablespoon of dried fruit. One serve of vegetables is equal to one medium potato, ½ cup cooked vegetables and 1 cup of salad vegetables.
Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables contributes to good health, protects against a number of diseases and helps maintain a healthy weight.
Benefits of fruit and vegetables include:
- Crunchy fibre for good dental hygiene and a healthy bowel
- Carbohydrates for energy
- Minerals and vitamins for healthy skin and good eye sight
- Taste delicious
- Add colour and variety to a meal
- Minimal or no packaging
- Naturally low in fat and sugar
Maximum health and protection against disease comes from eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Foods of similar colours generally contain similar protective compounds so children should try to eat a rainbow of colourful fruits and vegetables every day to get the full range of health benefits.
Ideas for classroom discussion and activities
- Pick a few different colours and ask students to name some fruit and vegetables of those colours.
- Using measuring cups and cut samples of fruit and vegetables, demonstrate and discuss what is meant by a serve size.
- Create and taste a fruit and vegetable character from cut pieces of fruit and vegetables. Have students describe the taste, smell and texture of the pieces used in the character.
- Have students complete and fruit and vegetable diary. Discuss serve sizes and what fruits and vegetables could be added. Use the food diary template in the Make the Most of a Fresh Food Market Tour Manual.
- Plant and water vegetable seedlings for classroom observation. Visit the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation website.
- Discuss ways to make fruit and vegetables interesting in meals or to include in their lunchboxes.
- Ask students to talk about the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables.
- Discuss how and where different fruit and vegetables grow. Use the Make the Most of a Fresh Food Market Tour Manual to guide the discussion
- Organise a classroom tour to a local fresh food market. Use the Make the Most of a Fresh Food Market Tour Manual.
Links to additional resources
