Fun with Fruits and Vegetables
Written by Annabelle Wilson, Dietitian
Go for 2 and 5: Remember to go for 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables every day.

1 serve of fruit is:

• 1 medium piece (e.g. 1 apple or banana)

• 2 small pieces (e.g. 2 apricots)

• 1 cup of tinned or diced fruit  

1 serve of vegetables is:

• 1 cup of salad

• ½ cup cooked vegetables (including legumes)
• 1 medium potato

Three reasons why you should include fruit and vegetables in your diet:
1. They help you to GROW, including:

• Build strong bones and healthy teeth

• Grow taller
• Grow healthy hair

2. They help you to GLOW, including:

• Keep your body healthy
• Help your body fight disease
• Stop you getting sick

3. They help you to GO, including:

• Play with friends and family
• Play sport or run around
• Go to school and learn

What if my child won’t eat fruit and vegetables?

• Be a good role model - eat fruit and vegetables every day yourself
• Keep offering fruits and vegetables – it can take up to 10 times of offering a new food for children to like it
• Involve your child in choosing which fruit and vegetables they would like
• Let your child help with washing, preparing and cooking fruit and vegetables
• Grow some fruit or vegetables in the garden
• For children who are reluctant to eat fruit and vegetables, try one new fruit or vegetable every week

Fun ideas for fruit and vegetables

• Try to eat a rainbow of fruit and vegetables every day
• Have a fruit platter as an after school snack
• Use yoghurt as a tasty dip for fruit
• Have vegetables such as snowpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrots and mushrooms in the fridge that can be turned into a quick snack
• Make your own fruit kebab or vegetable and cheese kebab
• Make your own mini pizza using lots of vegies and fruit such as pineapple

Remember that children, especially young children, should always be seated and supervised when eating hard foods such as some raw fruits and vegetables

Your local Dietitians can be contacted on:
 Pt Augusta: Ph. 8648 5800 (Pt Augusta provides services to Leigh Creek, Marree, Quorn, Roxby Downs, Woomera and Hawker) orWhyalla:  Ph. 8648 8930 (Whyalla provides services to Ceduna, Yalata, Oak Valley, Cowell, Kimba, Cleve, Streaky Bay, Elliston and Wudinna).
For more information about fruit and vegetables, check out these websites, which were used when writing this article:

Go for Your Life:

http://www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au/

Go for 2 and 5:

http://www.gofor2and5.com.au/

Fresh for Kids:

http://www.freshforkids.com.au/

Download this document (pdf)
Download 'Summer Canteen Menu' (pdf)