The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program provides schools with a unique opportunity to introduce their students to fresh produce.

Some FFVP grant recipients have noted, that despite produce availability, many of the vegetables go untouched.  Students are reluctant to try unfamiliar vegetables. 

How can a School Reduce Produce Waste?

“Providing a nutrition education component while serving fresh fruits and vegetables is the ideal way to introduce and reinforce good eating habits.”

-FFVP Handbook for Schools, USDA 2010

The FFVP Handbook for Schools recommends, “incorporating nutrition education into the daily curriculum.”

 Veggiecation Classroom Companion Books are standards-based guides that easily integrate children's nutrition education into with literacy, math, science, and other academic content areas.  Other materials can be incorporated easily into the daily lesson plan.

A Teacher's Influence:

Veggiecation empowers educators to fulfill academic requirements with content that will help students nourish their brain, improve attention span, and decrease discipline needs.1,2,3

“Teachers choosing to participate with their students are strongly encourages to include a nutrition education component to enhance their positive role modeling.”

-FFVP Handbook for Schools, USDA 2010

“Role model is an important predictor of adolescent health – related behaviors.  Our findings have implications for designing youth targeted interventions and policies involving role models.”

-Yancy et al, 2011

Health-PromotingSchool Environments:

“Providing nutrition education can also help schools reach their goal of a healthier school environment and is a component of several important agency programs and initiatives such as:

• A school’s Wellness Policy
  
• Becoming a Team Nutrition School
  

• Meeting the Healthier US School Challenge”

                    -FFVP Handbook for School, USDA 2010

Veggiecation works!

Children were surveyed before and after “Broccoli Month” at A Child’s World Preschool in Paterson, NJ.

Before being “veggiecated” about Broccoli:

70% of students said they “did not like” or “never tasted” Broccoli.

After their memorable Broccoli experiences:

100% of students tried Broccoli at least once

90% of students said they now “Loved It!”

90% “Loved” our Broccoli Trees with Ginger Dip

85% “Loved” our Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

References:

1 Nansel, T., et al (2009). Association of school performance indicators with implementation of the Healthy Kids,

Smart Kids programme: case study.Public Health Nutrition Journal, 13 (01), 116-122.  

2 Florence, M., et al (2008). Diet Quality and Academic Performance. Journal of School Health, 78 (4), 209-215.  

3 Haire-Joshu, D., et al (2008). High 5 for Kids: The impact of a home visiting program on fruit and vegetable intake of parentsand their preschool children.  Preventive Medicine Journal, 47 (1), 77-82.