May 19—25 Is Give Me 5 Week

Local School Districts Promote Eating 5 Or More Servings Of Fruits And Vegetables A Day To Students

BINGHAMTON, NY - May 19th is Give Me 5 week! The week emphasizes the importance of eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables as part of a healthy diet.

Throughout the week school food service directors in the Binghamton, Chenango Forks, Chenango Valley, Deposit, Harpursville, Johnson City, Maine Endwell, Susquehanna Valley, Union Endicott, Vestal, Whitney Point, and Windsor school districts will join together to bring the important message to elementary school students that they need to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day to stay healthy. The cafeterias will be decorated with fruit and vegetable balloons, and each student will be given a 5 A Day Challenge log to track their daily consumption of fruits and vegetables for the week. There will be plenty of opportunities for students to eat at least one-third of their daily goal during lunch, with school menus offering two to three fruit and vegetables options each day.

The 5 A Day theme will carry through into the library where books about different fruits and vegetables will be on display and available for children to read and learn about how they can be part of a good diet. To add an element of fun to the week, students will read fruit and vegetable trivia questions over the PA system during morning announcements.

While Give Me 5 week is meant to raise children's awareness about the importance of eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, it's also intended to let parents and caregivers know that children need their help to meet their daily fruit and vegetable intake requirements. According to a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report only 36.4 percent of U.S. children between the ages of 2 and 19 eat the recommended three to five servings of vegetables per day, and only 26 percent eat the two to four recommended daily servings of fruit.

Fruits and vegetables provide many nutrients children need: vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, water, and healthful phytochemicals. Some are beta carotene (a precursor of vitamin A), while others are rich in vitamin C, folate, or potassium. Almost all fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and none have cholesterol. All of these healthful characteristics help provide protection against getting chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer. Because fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and water and are naturally low in calories, they are a great way to help children maintain a healthy weight.

Parents can help their children achieve their daily fruit and vegetable requirements by:

• Setting a good example and eating fruits and vegetables yourself at mealtime and for snacks.

• Keeping a supply of fruits and vegetables readily available at home so that children can grab them when their on their way out the door to school or sports, or for a quick snack when they get home from school.

• Including fruits and/or vegetables with every meal and snack.

• Offering a variety of fruits and vegetables and preparing them in different ways to keep them interesting and to find which way your child likes them best.

• Adding extra vegetables into soups, casseroles, and pasta sauce.

• Adding sliced fruit to unsweetened cereal.

For more information about Give Me 5 week contact Diane O'Hora, Supervising Public Health Educator at the Broome County Health Department at 607.778.3921.

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Published Date: 05-20-2008