FRUITS

Lesson 1 September

Objectives: The goal of this lesson is for the students to understand the importance of
fruits in their diet. They should also be able to identify various common fruits in their
diet.
Lesson:
Did you know that there are tens of thousands of different types of fruits all around the
world? There are 1,000 different types of bananas and 7,000 different types of apples
alone!12
Fruits are the part of plants that contain seeds. They are often colorful and smell good
to attract animals so that the plants seeds can be spread farther.
The middle and end of summer (like right now) is a perfect time to try different fruits
because it is growing and harvest season in Michigan. You may notice a larger number
and greater variety of fruits in your local grocery store; this is a perfect time to try new
ones!
Question- Can anyone name some of their favorite fruits?
Why are fruits good for us Fruits contain vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that
are important for our bodys everyday functions.3
They contain glucose (the good fruit sugar), that our body uses as fuel.
Glucose is especially important for school because that is the only fuel source that our
brain uses. We need powerful brains to pay attention in school and remember all of the
important information.4
Fruits also contain fiber which is very important to keep your digestive system moving
and helps to flush out impurities from the body. We will be learning more about fiber in a
future lesson.5
Question- Can anyone name some citrus fruits? (Some possible answers: orange,
clementine, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerines, etc.)
Citrus fruits contain Vitamin C, which is important for our immune system. Our immune
system fights off sickness and infections so that we stay healthy.3
Whole fruits are recommended over fruit juice because they contain fiber and thus the
sugar is slower to absorb into our bloodstream and keep us full for longer. 6
The amount of fruit recommended is 1.5 to 2 cups every day. One cup of fruit includes
one apple, 8 strawberries, one banana, 32 grapes, or one pear. See how easy it is to
get the 2 cups of fruit per day that is recommended! 7

The goal is to eat as many fruits as possible, and to try a variety of different fruits!
 Todays Vocabulary
Fruit-A part of the plant that contains glucose and seeds, and lots of
vitamins and minerals for people to eat.
Citrus- Fruits that contain a high amount of vitamin C
Fiber- The indigestible part of plants that keeps our bodys digestion moving regularly.

Citations
1. Apple Facts - Apples and More - University of Illinois Extension.
https://extension.illinois.edu/apples/facts.cfm. Accessed July 14, 2017.
2. All about bananas | Banana Link. http://www.bananalink.org.uk/all-about-
bananas. Accessed July 14, 2017.
3. Liu RH. Health-Promoting Components of Fruits and Vegetables in the Diet. Adv
Nutr An Int Rev J. 2013;4(3):384S-392S. doi:10.3945/an.112.003517.
4. Heneka MT, Nicotera P. Thoughts on Obesity and Brain Glucose. Cell.
2016;165(4):773-775. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2016.04.057.
5. Bradbury KE, Appleby PN, Key TJ. Fruit, vegetable, and fiber intake in relation to
cancer risk: findings from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and
Nutrition (EPIC). Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100(Supplement_1):394S-398S.
doi:10.3945/ajcn.113.071357.
6. Drewnowski A, Rehm CD. Socioeconomic gradient in consumption of whole fruit
and 100% fruit juice among US children and adults. Nutr J. 2015;14(1):3.
doi:10.1186/1475-2891-14-3.
7. All About the Fruit Group | Choose MyPlate. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/fruit.
Accessed July 14, 2017.

Health Education Expectations Addressed

Standard 1: Core Concepts
1.1 Explain the benefits of healthy eating and being physically active.
1.2 Describe how consuming a variety of healthy foods and beverages helps a person
stay healthy.
1.3 Describe the essential nutrients the body needs to stay healthy
Standard 3: Health Behaviors
1.1 Describe strategies people use to consume the recommended portions of food to
meet their individual nutrient needs.
1.2 Explain the importance of eating a variety of foods from all the food groups.
ACTIVITY: Matching Game: Can you match as many of the fruits as possible to their names?
Directions: Match the picture of the fruit with its name by putting the corresponding letter of the
fruit picture next to the name of the fruit in the blue boxes.
 Fruit Matching Game
Mango___
A
Apple___
B
Cantaloupe___
C
Peach___
D
Banana___
E
Orange___
F
Pineapple___
G
Blueberry___
H
Fruit Matching Game Answer Key
Mango= E
Apple = C
Cantaloupe=F
Peach=A
Banana=B
Orange=D
Pineapple=H
Blueberry=G