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Lesson 1: Taste the Flavor Rainbow
To prepare, read Background Information

Objectives
Students will learn:

Central Concepts

Standards addressed: click here

Materials

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important to eat fruits and vegetables? They provide vitamins and minerals that we cannot live without. Have you heard about any other types health benefits?

2. Do all fruits and vegetables have the same nutrients? No. Since they are different what does that mean? We need to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to get all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

3. Do you think fruits and vegetables provide benefits other than vitamins and minerals? Yes they do. They also provide fiber and phytonutrients.

4. What are phytonutrients? Chemicals in plants that provide protection from things in the environment and in our own bodies that can lead to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other problems.

5. What is fiber? The tough parts of plants that we can’t digest. Fiber reduces “bad” cholesterol; helps our bodies balance blood sugar, which is important in prevention of diabetes; keeps our colons clean, protecting them from cancer; helps the body get rid of other excess byproducts; and helps us pass stools easily.

In-Class Activity: Taste the Flavor Rainbow

1. Have a discussion with your class about plant parts, how they serve a plant, and how you identify them. If possible, have a model or poster of the parts of a plant and worksheets for students to label the plant parts. The parts include:

Roots: found underground; absorb water and nutrients for growth; store food for plant

Stems: connect leaves to roots; carry water and nutrients from roots to leaves, and carbohydrates and other things from leaves to roots for growth; some provide food storage

Leaves: catch the sun, which gives plants energy to grow; release moisture and oxygen

Flowers: where fruits/seeds form

Fruits: contain seeds

Seeds: form inside fruit; when put in soil, grow into a new plant

2. Ask students why they think it’s important for them to eat fruits and vegetables each day. Explain that fruits and vegetables contain different vitamins and minerals that are essential to our bodies, and the need to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Introduce phytonutrients and fiber, and other health benefits associated with eating produce.

Explain that all fruits and vegetables contain different amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients, and eating a lot of different types of fruits and vegetables is important to staying strong and healthy.

Introduce the concept of eating a rainbow from the background information. Explain how the different colors of the fruits and vegetables indicate that they contain different vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, and that by eating all different colors, you are also getting all the different nutrients.

3. Lead an informal discussion about fruits and vegetables the students like, those they don’t like, and those they’ve not tried. As they talk about various foods, encourage them to use descriptive words such as “sweet,” “tangy,” or “spicy” rather than “yucky,” “okay,” or “awesome.”

4. Set up a chart on your whiteboard or chalkboard with colored markers or chalk that mimics this reproducible form. Ask students to help fill in the blanks with names of vegetables and fruits that match these colors. (We list fruits and vegetables as examples only – let students come up with their own).

Student/Group Name_______________

Color	Plant Part	Raw/Cooked	Flavor	Try Again?
Red 1.strawberries 2.tomatoes
Orange 1. orange 2. carrots
Yellow 1. pineapple 2. yellow peppers
Green 1. Broccoli 2. Kiwi
Blue 1. Blueberries 2. Grapes
Purple 1. Raspberries 2. Eggplant

5. Introduce students to the idea of a tasting activity by telling them there are people in the world who have the job of sampling new vegetable and fruit varieties before the seeds are sold to gardeners and farmers, or testing foods that companies package for market. Tell them they’ll be playing the role of food tasters during the tasting activity, and like real tasters, will rate flavors, using descriptive words as mentioned above. They’ll also note if they’d be willing try each food again.

6. Collect fruits and vegetables for the students to taste. Students can sign up to bring in an item (enough for each child in class to have a taste), arrange with your cafeteria to provide some items, or contact local grocery stores for donations. Each color should be represented by at least two options. Serve each food by itself, either raw or cooked (as much as possible, try to serve fresh foods rather than canned or frozen foods).

7. Clean fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Cut each item into bite-sized pieces as necessary. Provide toothpicks, paper cups, and napkins for students to use during the tasting.

8. After the tasting exercise, lead a discussion and fill in the classroom chart with the data students collected. Ask if this exercise helped any of them discover new flavors that they want to try again.

Extensions

English - Encourage students to keep a journal of their fruit and vegetable consumption for a week after the tasting. Some suggestions for what they might write about include: 1) experiences with new flavors; 2) ways that foods are prepared at their home; 3) if prepared foods or restaurant meals are consumed, what fruits and vegetables are part of those meals; 4) interviews with family members about their favorite fruits and vegetables.

Social Studies - Ask students to find a recent article related to the health benefits of fruits and vegetables in a newspaper or magazine. Instruct them to read the article and then discuss their current event either in writing or by a class presentation. During the discussion of these articles, try to focus on how encouraging healthier behaviors could effect/benefit our society.

Nutrition - Explore the nutritional content of common fruits and vegetables either as an individual or group project. The Dole 5 A Day Fruit and Vegetable Encyclopedia is an excellent resource for this information. Instruct each student to create a brochure on a specific fruit or vegetable or on a specific vitamin (such as Vitamin C). The brochures can be displayed at school, or if resources are available, send copies of all brochures home.

If you have a school garden…

Research/Writing - After the tasting exercise, discuss which of the plants students might like to try to grow. Have them research growing requirements for various crops and come up with a plan for including them in the garden. For assessment purposes, have students record findings in journals; present them in class; or report them via research papers.

June 2005
Kids Garden News

Contents

Newsletter Home

2005 Healthy Sprouts Awards

Spotlight Article:
Plant a Seed for Good Health
by Ildi Carlisle-Cummins

News Items

Lesson Feature:
"Eat a Rainbow"

Introduction

Background

Lesson 1:
Taste the Flavor Rainbow

Lesson 2:
The Traveling Journal

Plant of the Month: Tomato

Resources