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Active Kids Challenge

Teaching Resource - Veggies & Fruit Get the High 5 with Fit Habitz Week 3

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Learning

Veggies & Fruit Get the High 5

Variety at meals helps us enjoy what we eat and ensures that we find our nutrient needs in a range of healthy food sources. Priority goes to nutrient rich foods that best look after our bodies.

Eating a variety of fruit and vegetables every day helps children and teenagers grow and develop, boosts their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases – such as heart disease, high blood pressure and some forms of cancer.

Fruits and vegetables can brighten your plate or a recipe, can add texture and crunch, and are packed with health benefits.

• Fibre - Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of fibre. Fibre is necessary for your body, as it helps regulate your digestive system and has been shown to decrease your chances of developing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Soluble fibre can also lower your cholesterol and sugar levels. Keep the skins on your fruit and vegetables, as peeling or cutting them off takes away a good portion of the fibre.
• Vitamins - Fruits and vegetables are brimming with vitamins. Vitamins are chemicals your body cells must have for growth and development. Vitamins A and C are found in a number of fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A helps your body fight infections and benefits your skin and eyes. Vitamin C is important for your teeth and gums, and is essential in helping your body take care of wounds.
• Minerals - Your body requires the minerals in fruits and vegetables to function properly. Calcium, potassium and iron are minerals that help nourish your body. Your body needs calcium and potassium for your muscles, including your heart, to contract. These minerals allow your blood vessels to dilate and contract, and they help your nerves to send messages to your brain. Calcium is also important for your glands, teeth and bones. You must have iron for your red blood cells to transport oxygen. Magnesium is a mineral that works for your enzymes and bones.
• Antioxidants - Antioxidants are chemicals that prevent the destruction of your body's cells by free radicals. Free radicals are reactive molecules that attack healthy cells. Vitamins A, C, E, lycopene and lutein are antioxidants abundant in fruits and vegetables. Beta-carotene, lutein and lycopene are carotenoids; these antioxidants give their fruits and vegetables orange and red pigments.

Fit Tips

• Most Australians do not consume the recommended number of vegetables each day. Eating vegetables in any form (fresh, frozen or canned) is an ideal way to increase vegetable intake and ensure that nutrient intake is balanced.
• Homegrown vegetables are hard to beat. You know what, if any, chemicals and fertilizer you used to grow them and you know where they've been since picking. No store-bought vegetables or frozen foods can beat fresh food coming straight from your own garden.
• Frozen vegetables are picked at the peak of their season, packed and frozen soon after harvest. Vegetables are blanched and then quickly frozen which preserves the nutrients minimizing further loss.
• When vegetables are in-season, buy them fresh and ripe. "Off-season," frozen vegetables will give you a high concentration of nutrients.

Fit Corner - Class Activity

Veggie Delicious - Design your own veggie garden so that you can enjoy fresh vegetables all year. Work in small groups.

You will need:

• poster size cardboard
• scissors
• glue
• bright coloured pens or pencils

Research

• Which vegetables grow in the different seasons in Canberra?
• How long do they take to grow?

Find & Design

• Find and cut out the different vegetables.
• Design your own veggie garden by gluing the pictures onto your poster.
• Make sure you provide a planting guide on when to plant each vegetable so that you can enjoy your fresh veggies all year round.

Fit Qs

• What fruit is in season during August and September?
• How many different types of frozen vegetables and fruit can you find in the freezer at your local shopping centre? What are they?
• Can you come up with some fun ways to serve vegetables differently?