Captain 5-a-day for educator – Curriculum
Captain 5-A-Day audio program
2. In the Classroom
Classroom
Food
Environment
Presenting health food experiences to young children has a positive influence on acceptance and consumption. For the
preschooler this environment is created by foods available in school and at home. Children notice when teachers and parents eat and
enjoy health foods. Modeling is a big part of developing healthy eating habits. Sight, sound, smell, touch and taste are other
ways children experience foods. Captain 5 A Day’s adventures bring these experiences to life in your classroom. Some preschool
programs find it helpful to establish guidelines for food brought to school. This helps keep the message to the children consistent-healthy food is important all the time, not just during a nutrition lesson. (Such a guideline might be: at least one fruit and or vegetable at all parties.) A model note to parents is enclosed in the at-home section.
5 A Day Serving Sizes
When planning your 5 A Day adventure it’s important to remember the differences between preschool and adult serving sizes. For
example:
| Adults Serving Sizes |  |
Preschooler 4-6 Year Old |
|
Preschooler 1-3 Year Old |
| 1 medium size fresh fruit |
1/2 whole fresh fruit | 1/2 - 1/4 piece fresh fruit | ||
| 1/2 cup canned fruit |
1/3 cup canned fruit |
2-3 tablespoons canned fruit | ||
| 1/4 cup dried fruit | 1/8 cup dried fruit | 1/3 cup 100% real fruit juice | ||
| 3/4 cup 100% fruit juice | 1/2 cup 100% fruit juice | |||
| 1/2 cup cooked vegetables | 1/3 cup cooked vegetables | 2-3 tablespoons leafy or raw vegetables | ||
| 1 cup leafy or raw vegetables | 1/3 cup leafy or raw vegetables | 2-3 tablespoons leafy or raw vegetables |
Taster’s Club: A most important adventure
Early food experiences have a great impact on lifelong eating habits. Introducing new foods to young children is the best way to help them to learn to like a wide variety of foods. Diversity in food selection is the best policy for good nutrition throughout life. Experiencing food means exploring all aspects of the food, especially tasting the food. Even tiny tastes set the state for bigger tastes and final acceptance down the road. It often takes 5 tastes to finally like a food that a person did not like on the first try. When exploring a new food, all sensations can come into play: touch, sight, sound, smell. This activity can be done many times with many foods and never gets old.
Materials
- Two or three of the fruits and vegetables discussed in the audiocassette, or other ones that are unfamiliar to children.
- Captain 5 A Day’s food exploration chart, directions found in this section.
- Food taster’s badge (badge in the copy masters section.) Directions on next card.
- Here are some suggestions for discussing the new fruit or vegetable with the children:
- The food we will taste/discuss is called…
- It looks…(example: color, size, shape)
- At the top it is…
- At the bottom it is…
- Inside it is…
- It feels…(example: rough, smooth, hard, soft, fuzzy, slippery, round, prickly)
- It smells…
- It can be prepared in these ways… (example: fresh, cooked, cold, hot, sliced, mashed)
Before children taste a new fruit or vegetable, discuss the food with them.
To Introduce A New Food:
- Cut one of each fruit or vegetable into bite-size pieces.
- Pass an uncut fruit or vegetable around the group. Give each child an opportunity to look at it closely, feel its texture, smell it and listen to its sound when it’s shaken or thumped.
- Have children think of words that describe each food.
- Cut the whole fruit or vegetable to show what the inside looks like. Discuss how the inside is different from the outside. Color, texture, seeds, etc.
- Taste, enjoy and discuss.
Vegetable Tasting Adventure
Help your children become captain 5 A Day’s vegetable adventures.
Ingredients
Select and wash two or three of the following:
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Collard Greens
- Green Pepper
- Mushroom
- Spinach
- Tomato
- Tools
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Napkins
Directions
- Help the children answer these questions about the vegetables, one at a time:
- Seeing
- What does it look like? (Like a tree, a ball, a leaf or a little house…)
- What shape is it? (Round, flat, smooth, straight…)
- What color is it?
- How big is it compared to other things?
- Feeling
- How does it feel? (Smooth, rough, hard, soft, bumpy, cold, warm, crinkly…)
- What else feels like this?
- Cut the vegetable and ask about seeing, feeling and smelling, as well as tasting, use taster’s chart if you wish.
- Tasting
- What does the vegetable taste like? (Sweet, sour, salty…)
- What does it feel like in your mouth? (Juicy, crisp, hard…)
I Ate The Vegetable At Home
Materials
- A packet of at least 10 vegetable pictures for each child. Pictures can be cut from magazines; or use cardboard food models, copy masters or cut up food poster.
- Scissors
- The food exploration chart to record children’s intake.
- Each child can help make a packet. Each child takes a packet of vegetable pictures home. A letter to send with the packet is on the next card.
- When a child eats a vegetable at home, a parent will put the picture of that vegetable in the child’s school bag.
- At school, the teaching staff will record it on a tasting chart. A star or other mark can be put on the picture so parents know that it was recorded. The child takes the picture(s) back home. This activity can continue for several days.
- A variation: a different child takes the packet home each night, until each child has taken the packet home at least once.
Dear Parent,
Today, we are beginning a nutrition program about eating vegetables. Vegetables have lots of vitamins, minerals and fiber which are an important part of a healthy diet. Your child has a packet of vegetable pictures in his/her school bag. Please put this packet where it is easy to reach. Every time your child eats a vegetable, show your child the picture of that vegetable from the packet and put the picture in his/her school bag to bring to school the next day. If your child eats a vegetable that is not pictured in the packet, use a blank piece of paper and ask your child to draw the vegetable. Each day the teacher will ask the class to show their pictures. The teacher will mark the picture when recorded. A chart will be kept at school to record the vegetables the children eat.
Thank you for participating!
Broccoli Forest
Tools
- Picture of broccoli growing to show children. (see copy master section)
- Paper plate
- Broccoli small stalks with florets for each child.
- Low fat salad dressing
- Give each child broccoli that has been washed and dried.
- Have the children stand it up to look like a tree.
- Compare to a tree: same and different; color, stem like a trunk; leaves, flowers.
- Show and discuss picture of broccoli growing.
- Give every child a bit of salad dressing on the plate to dip the broccoli tree into and eat.
Broccoli Pancakes
Tools
- Frying pan
- Hot plate or burner
- Plates
- Forks
- Napkins
- 10 ounce frozen broccoli
- 1/2 cup parmesan or grated cheese
- 1 cup pancake or biscuit mix
- oil just to cover bottom of pan
- 1 egg
- 1 cup skim milk
- Cook broccoli or let defrost and drain off as much water as possible
- Beat egg in large bowl.
- Add pancake mix, cheese and milk; blend until smooth
- Add broccoli and mix well
- Heat oil, and drop by spoonfuls into heated oil in frying pan.
- Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Put on paper towel to remove excess oil before eating.
- Other vegetables and fruits can be substituted for broccoli, such as grated carrots, zucchini, apple or banana.
- Yields 15 2-inch pancakes.
Spinach Salad In The Bag
Ingredients
- Spinach leaves, children can wash and dry
- Other bite sized pieces of fruits or vegetables as desired, such as orange sections or carrot sticks
- Low fat salad dressing
- Ziploc bags one for each child
- Paper towels to dry spinach leaves
- Fork for each child
Give each child:
- Spinach leaves to wash and dry
- A plastic ziploc baggy
- 2-4 washed and dried spinach leaves (depends on size of leaf)
- 1 tsp. low fat salad dressing
- a fork
- Tear the spinach leaves into bite size pieces
- Put the spinach pieces into the baggy.
- Add other fruits and vegetables, if desired.
- Add the salad dressing.
- Zip the bag closed
- Shake the bag till dressing covers leaves
- Open the bag and eat spinach salad. Yum.
Carrot Orange Salad On Spinach Leaf
Tools
- Vegetable grater
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowl
- Spoons, plates, forks, and napkins
- 1 lb. Carrots, washed and grated
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2-3 oranges peeled and sectioned
- Fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve on a spinach leaf.
Juice The Orange: Plant The Seeds
Ingredients
- 1 orange with seeds for each child
- Bowl and pitcher
- Cups for drinking
- Cup and plate for each child for planting
- Knife and cutting board; spoons
- Potting soil
- Plastic wrap
Juice the Orange
- Cut an orange in half for each child. Have children wash hands. Give the orange to each child and have them remove the seeds. Save seeds on their plates to use later. Each child will squeeze juice from orange into the big bowl. Pour juice into pitcher and pour some juice into cups for children to drink.
- Give each child a cup and spoon. Place potting soil so that the children can reach it. Have children fill cup about 3/4 full with potting soil and plant seeds about 1/2 inch deep. Water until moist. Cover with plastic wrap until sprouts emerge. The remove plastic and keep moist. Watch the plants grow. Smell the leaves.
Orange Coconut Salad
Ingredients
- Canned mandarin oranges (15 ounces)
- 1/4 cup coconut
- Mixing bowl
- Bowls or cups
- Spoons
- Drain oranges, pour into mixing
bowl, sprinkle with coconut, and mix lightly. Serve. (1/4 cup
meets 1/2 of the fruit / vegetable component of child care food program
- ccfp).
Ingredients
- Blood oranges
- Tools
- Knife
- Cutting board
- When blood oranges are available, (fall-winter) get enough for each child to have one half of the orange. Talk about what color will be inside when you cut the oranges. Surprise, they are red. 1/2 of orange meets 1/2 of the fruit/vegetable component in CCFP.
Making Raisins
- This activity requires low humidity and fair weather.
- Fresh, ripe, firm seedless Thompson grapes (enough for each child to have a few)
- Large pan or bowl of water
- Plastic-coated trays or paper plates
- Paper towels
- Pieces of clean cheesecloth, mosquito netting or wire
- Screen, large enough to cover the trays
- Glass container with tight-fitting lid
- Handle the grapes carefully as they bruise easily.
- Save several for comparison later.
- Place the grapes in the container of water and wash them thoroughly.
- Life the grapes from the water and blot them with a paper towel.
- Remove the grapes from the stem and spread one layer of grapes evenly on the tray.
- Cover the tray with the cloth or screen to keep insects and dust from getting on the grapes.
- Fasten the cloth so it will not blow off.
- Place the tray of grapes in direct sunlight to dry, away from dirt and dust and where air can circulate freely over and under the tray. You may need to put the tray on blocks.
- After 3 days, test the grapes for dryness by squeezing them in your hand. If there is no moisture left on your hand and the grapes spring apart when the hand is opened, the grapes are dry enough. Thy should be pliable and leathery. If the grapes are not dry, test them again the next day.
- When grapes are dry, remove them from the tray.
- Use reserved grapes for comparisons:
1. Changes in color: green to brown
2. Changes in form: sphere to flat
3. Changes in texture: smooth to wrinkled
4. Changes in taste: sweet and mild to sweeter and rich
- When eating raisins for a snack, brush teeth or swish afterwards because raisins stick to the teeth.
- Store raisins in an airtight container, stored in a cool, dry place and they will keep for more than six months. Grapes will remain fresh in a refrigerator for three to five days.
Dancing Raisins
Ingredients
- Raisins
- Clear club soda
- Clear cup
- Place raisins in cup
- Add soda
- Watch bubbles carry raisins to the surface
- Observation of properties of gas.
- Gas rises, is lighter than liquid air bubbles transport raisins to the surface.
Grape Adventures
Ingredients
- Fruit listed below
- Paper plates
- Bowls
- Cutting utensils
- Pears & Grapes: slice fresh pears and slice grapes in half. Give each child 1/4 cup of each fruit, and this will meet fruit/vegetable component in CCFP.
- Canned Peaches & Grapes: In each child’s bowl put half of a canned peach (in its own juice or water packed). Have children add halved green grapes to the peach hollow (1/4 cup of each fruit will meet the fruit/vegetable component of the CCFP).
- Counting Grapes: give each child a small bunch of grapes and let them pull their grapes off the stems, count them as they put them in a bowl. (1/4 cup of grapes meets 1/2 of the fruit/vegetable component).
- Frozen Grapes: Freeze seedless
grapes and give them to children to eat frozen (1/4 cup meets 1/2 of
the fruit/vegetable component).
Captain 5 A Day’s Fruit Pizzas
Servings: 24
Serving size: 2 waffles and 1/4 cup fruit
Ingredients
- 48 mini waffles
- 8 oz. Tub whipped light cream cheese
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
- 6 cups assorted fruit i.e., mandarin oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries
- Bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Plastic knives
- Napkins
1. Put waffles in oven to make crisp or defrost
2. Mix together cream cheese and vanilla
3. Give each child 2 waffles, approximately 1 tablespoon cream cheese and 1/4 cup assorted fruit.
4. Children spread the cream cheese on their waffles and put fruit on top. If all the fruit doesn’t fit on the waffles, they can eat it plain.
Meets CCFP: 1/4 cup vegetable/fruit, 1 bread
For a CCFP complete snack: 1 serving fruit waffle pizza, 1/4 cup 100% juice or another 1/4 cup fruit
Rainbow Fruit Medley
Ingredients
- 1-16 oz. Peaches, canned in unsweetened juice
- 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced into small pieces
- 1 cup strawberries
- 3 cups watermelon chunks
- 1 cup seedless grapes
- Large bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Knives
- Spoons
- Bowls or cups
- Napkins
- Mix together fruits in a large
bowl. Chill before serving. Yields 8 cups or 16 1/2 cup servings.
Pasta Twist Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked pasta, macaroni, rotini, rigatoni, bowties or twists
- 1 can 10.5 oz kidney beans, drained
- 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles or cucumber
- 1 cup sliced carrots, raw or steamed
- 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/4 cup low fat ranch salad dressing
- 1/4 cup low fat Italian or vinaigrette salad dressing
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Mixing spoon
- Plates
- Forks
- Napkins
- Gently mix together pasta, beans, and vegetables in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together salad dressings and lemon juice. Add dressing mixture to pasta, mixing thoroughly. Chill and serve. Yield is six 1 1/4 cup servings.
Southwestern Pepper Cups
Ingredients
- 5 medium peppers, halved and seeded (red, yellow or green peppers)
- 1/3 cup onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 can (10.5 oz) tomatoes, diced and drained
- 1 can (8.5 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
- Vegetable cooking spray
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Tools
- Large pot
- Mixing bowl
- Skillet
- Baking sheets
- Cutting board
- Knives
- Mixing spoons
- Plates
- Forks
- Napkins
- Heat peppers in boiling water 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, set aside.
- Cook onion and garlic in oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes.
- Combine rice, tomatoes, corn and onion mixture; mix well. Spoon into pepper halves.
- Place on baking sheet coated with cooking-spray. Bake at 350º for 10 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake again at 350º for 5 to 10 minutes or until hot, and cheese melts.
- Makes 10 servings.
Captain 5 A Day’s Super Power Pizza
Ingredients
- 1 package pizza dough
- 1 cup spaghetti sauce
- 2 1/2 cups grated low fat cheese
- 1 1/2 cups chopped vegetables: peppers, spinach, artichokes, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, etc.
Tools
- Cookie sheet or 12” pizza pan
- Knives
- Spoons
- Plates
- Napkins
Spread dough on a greased 10”x15” cookie sheet or 12” round pizza pan. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, then add vegetables of choice. Bake at 375º for 15-20 minutes, checking underside of crust to prevent over-baking. Yields: 4 adults servings 7 1/2” x 5” slices. Child serving: 1/2 slice
You may want to start with half the amount of vegetables the firs time this is served. Gradually add more vegetable each time the recipe is prepared.
Captain 5 A Day’s Yummy Slush
Ingredients
- 100% fruit juice
- Ice Trays
- Small paper cups or plastic freezer molds
- Spoons
- Pour fruit juice into container or tray
- Place in freezer, wait until frozen
- Remove from freezer, eat and enjoy!
Ingredients
- Seltzer
- 100% Fruit Juice
- Cups
- Pour 1/2 juice and 1/2 seltzer into cup.
- This is a healthy drink idea to replace soda
Look for recipes using fruit and vegetables that would be fun to make with the children.
- Explore how processing changes the texture, appearance, taste
- Apples to make applesauce
- Split green peas to make pea soup
- Potatoes for mashed potatoes
- Corn to make popcorn
- Sweet potatoes to make mashed sweet potatoes
- Cranberries to make sauce or salad
- Fruits and vegetables can be added to familiar foods like soups, sauces, muffins and pizza.
Field Adventures
Field adventures make classroom lessons come alive. Seeing is believing. When children experience something personally they gain a deeper understanding. Each community has its own unique field experiences. The following is a list of suggested field adventures. You be the judge in terms of usefulness to your students.
Field trip suggestions: Tour, Talk & Taste
- Vegetable farm
- Fruit orchard
- Farmer’s market
- Food processing company
- Restaurant kitchen
- Supermarket produce section