Understanding Cooking and Nutrition (U-CAN) 1
Lesson #5 – Fruit and Vegetable Recall and Self-Assessment
Objective: Use MyPlate as a guide for healthy choices; set goals for fruit and vegetable intake.
Key Message: Eat a variety of fruits & vegetables every day!
Set up/visual: MyPlate poster. Taste a Rainbow poster. Hand out Resource Packets. If possible, one
week before the lesson ask the teacher to have students write down the fruits and vegetables they ate
for one day and bring this information to nutrition class.
Introduction (5 minutes):
Have a discussion about fruits and vegetables. First, ask the class “Why do you think it is
important to eat vegetables and fruits?” Then, depending on what answers are given, ask the
following questions: “What nutrients do vegetables and fruits provide and how do these
nutrients keep our bodies healthy?” Depending on what answers are given, be sure to reiterate
or tell the students that research has shown eating plenty (and a variety) of vegetables and
fruits each day may help to reduce a person’s risk of developing chronic diseases/health
conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and even
certain types of cancer.
Content/Activity (30-45 minutes):
Note: This is an individual assessment!
1. Fruit & Vegetable Recall and Assessment. Pass out More Matters dry erase boards and
pens (1 each per student, be sure all students have a working pen before beginning
activity).
a. Instruct students to take about 5 minutes to recall all of the fruits and vegetables
they ate the previous day. Remind them that all forms count! Note: If teacher was
able to have students write this information down before class, then they can
simply refer to their notes and this portion of the activity will take less time.
i. It is important to tell students that what they are recording should be
information from a typical day of eating for them. For example, if
yesterday was not a typical day, instruct them to recall a different day OR
to write down what a typical day of fruit and vegetable intake looks like
for them. Tell them the assessment will be more realistic and useful for
them if they follow this advice.
b. (Do not rush through this section – take time to explain equivalents and answer
student questions). Have students refer to step 8 in the Activity & Eating: Small
Steps to a Healthier You (formerly 10 Steps to a Healthier Me! brochure) to use
as a guide for this part of the assessment. Choose two student volunteers. Show
the class a 1-cup dry measuring cup, and remind them that the 2010 Dietary
Guidelines give us recommendations for vegetables and fruits in cups. Using
either shredded paper (to mimic fruits/vegetables) or actual vegetables or fruits
(best option!), have the volunteers measure out what 1 cup looks like onto a paper
plate (do at least two examples, one fruit and one vegetable if possible), then
show the class what it looks like (if the class is rather large, you may want to ask
the volunteers to do a quick walk around the room with the plate so that all
students get a good look). Ask if there are any questions regarding what equals a
cup of fruits and/or vegetables before moving on. Note: It is important to strive to
include an example of (or at least talk about) the ‘tricky’ equivalents such as raw
leafy greens (explain that whatever is measured will need to be cut in half when
they record their intake amount) and dried fruit (explain that whatever is
measured will need to be doubled when they record their intake amount), so they
students can be sure to estimate their intake amounts as accurately as possible for
a more meaningful assessment.
c. Instruct students to estimate how many cups they ate of each fruit or vegetable
they have listed, then have them total the amounts of each in 1 cup equivalents.
d. Referencing the Catch a Rainbow Every Day poster, remind the students that it is
important not only to get the right amount of fruits and vegetables every day, but
also to eat a colorful variety. Review the fruit and vegetable color groups.
e. Instruct students to count up the number of different color groups they have eaten.
2. Fruit & Vegetable Evaluation & Goal Setting
a. Take the Activity & Eating: Small Steps to a Healthier You (formerly 10 Steps
to a Healthier Me! brochure) from the Resource Folder. (Formerly used the
FVMM “How many cups do I need?” Slide Guide). Review Activity Level
definitions in this section. Instruct students to locate their activity and age level in
Step 3, and then circle the recommended calories for each day. Have students
move to Step 4 and circle their calorie level and the amount of food from each
food group they need each day. Compare the recommended amounts or fruits and
vegetables to the amounts they are currently consuming based on their in-class
assessments.
b. Use the MyPlate poster to show students how it is good practice for half of their
plate to be vegetables and fruits. However, explain that the daily amount (in cups)
of vegetables and fruits that the 2010 Dietary Guidelines (and MyPyramid)
recommend are the actual daily amounts they should strive for. Sometimes their
plate may not look exactly like the MyPlate icon, and that is OK. Emphasize that
MyPlate is simply an icon that can help them envision a healthy eating pattern.
c. Pass out note cards and allow students to reflect and set at least one goal to
increase fruit and vegetable intake and/or variety.
d. Ask students if they have any questions about the lesson.
e. Encourage students to share the information they learned in this lesson with the
adults in their home. With longer sessions, this is a good place to extend the
lesson with multiple students sharing.
f. Students can take the dry erase boards/pens home as nutrition reinforcements.
Encourage students to place the dry erase boards/pens in their lockers and ask
them to write down and keep their daily recommendations on the bottom of the
board as a reminder of their daily vegetable and fruit intake goals. Encourage the
students to use the board to do a quick ‘self-assessment’ at least one day a week
(similar to how they did the in-class assessment) in order to keep their vegetable
and fruit intake on track.
3. Tracking Activity and Antioxidant Handout
a. Pass out/explain Fruit and Veggie Tracking Sheet (see Suggestions below) Pass
out the Antioxidants handout from the ADA Nutrient Library. If time allows, go
over in class.
b. Again, encourage students to share information/resources from this lesson with
adults in their home (see Suggestions below).
c. Collect folders.
4. For longer sessions use Portion Size MyPlate Bingo Game with beans or Plastic Bingo
Chips. Use variety of nutrition reinforcements as prizes.
Closing (5 minutes):
Ask: Ask students if anyone would like to share what they discovered eating fruits and
vegetables and if anyone would like to share a goal.
State: Objective and Key Message from above
Suggestions:
 Have students perform the fruit and vegetable assessment/evaluation on an adult at home
and share the results next class.
 Have students track their fruits & vegetable intake for a week (using Fruit and Veggie
Tracking Sheet), share results in health class daily and at next nutrition lesson.
Oregon Standards for 2012-13 School Year:
HE.HS.HE.02 Critique the adequacy of own diet for key nutrients and identify foods that supply
the identified nutrients. (Self Management) HE.HS.HE.03 Set a personal goal based on a dietary
analysis to enhance health. (Goal Setting)
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Supplies and Equipment needed for the Activities, U-CAN1 FV Recall
Add to Resource packet:
o Antioxidant handout out from ADA Nutrient Library
More Matters Dry Erase Board with pens – classroom set to collect back or enough
for students to keep as nutrition reinforcement (recommended)
http://www.pbhcatalog.org/ixxocart/products/Dry_Erase_Board-89-11.html
See Eating Smart/Being Active, Lesson Plan 3 for additional reference and for
supplies for “Vegetables I Ate” and “Making it Work” activities (you can use
shredded paper or measure actual fruits and veggies)
Note cards (1 per student)
Fruit and Veggie Tracking Sheet at
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/nutrition-education, U-CAN 1, lesson 5
Portion Size MyPlate Bingo Game WA24987 and Plastic Bingo Chips
TB16922(X)H http://eNasco.com/fcs
Variety of nutrition reinforcements for Bingo prizes.
2013 Oregon State University. OSU Extension Service cooperating. Adapted by Stephanie Russell, RD, LD, Faculty/Instructor and Glenda Hyde,
MEd, Faculty/Instructor, Deschutes County.Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials
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