Lesson 8:

Fruits 

and Veggies

Many Ways

TOTAL TIME REQUIRED: 120 minutes / 3 sessions

Session 1: Getting Started 10 min;

 Activity I “Fantastic Fiber” 

 20 min (Health/Science)

Session 2: Activity II “Fiber Investigation” 

 40 min (Health/Science/English 

 Language Arts/Math)

Session 3: Activity III “Fabulous Fruit” 

 40 min (Health);

 Reflect 10 min

Key Message:

Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits 

and veggies can all be healthy choices. 

Try fruit at breakfast and as a snack.

Subject Connections:

Math, Science, Health, English 

Language Arts

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to...

• Describe the health benefits of dietary 

fiber.

• Identify fruits and vegetables that are high 

in dietary fiber.

• Discuss ways to enjoy fruit at breakfast 

and as snacks.

Supplies:

• Hand juicer, 8-oz clear plastic cups, 

plastic bowls, plastic gloves, aprons, 

spoons (per student)

• Access to sink with warm, running water 

and soap

• Garden Journals

• Student handouts (pp. 85-86):

1. Finding Fiber

2. Fabulous Fruit

• Dig In! poster: Roller Coaster

Featured Fruits and Vegetables:

Strawberry

Provide enough cut-up samples to use in 

the activity on pp. 54-55.

Additional Foods:

One orange cut in half. (Optional: If making a 

juice for students to try, use more oranges.) 

The recipe on p. 86 serves two; adapt as 

needed: Variety of precut fruits (choose 

high-fiber fruits such as: oranges, 

strawberries, pears, apples, kiwi, dried 

fruit); low-fat yogurt; low-fat granola. 

Provide water (and cups) for students to 

drink as they taste the foods.

LESSON OVERVIEW:

Students will discuss different ways to preserve the harvest – freezing, 

canning, and drying. This ensures that fruits and vegetables are always 

available, whether between shopping trips or when fresh produce is out of 

season. Students will explore differences in the fiber content of fruits and 

vegetables and discover tasty ways to enjoy fruit at breakfast and as snacks.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: What is fiber, what does it do for me, and where can 

I find it? How can I tell if a food is more nutritious? 

TEACHING PROCEDURE:

GETTING STARTED (10 minutes)

1. Eating fruits and vegetables picked fresh from the garden is just one way 

that produce can be eaten. Ask students to suggest other forms of fruits 

and vegetables. Explain that while fresh produce is tasty, so are other 

forms of fruits and vegetables. Frozen, canned, and dried fruits all count 

toward the Fruit Group, and 100% fruit juice does as well. The same 

goes for vegetables: they can be frozen, canned, or dried. 100% 

vegetable juice counts toward the Vegetable Group too.

2. Ask students to name some advantages to frozen, canned, or dried 

fruits and vegetables. (You can have fruits and vegetables on hand 

between trips to the store, you can enjoy certain fruits and veggies 

when they are no longer in season; they don’t spoil like fresh.)

3. Remind students about the food system and the steps that a food 

takes from farm to plate (see sidebar, p. 53). One of the steps of the 

food system is processing. Ask students if anyone remembers what 

happens in this step, and when.

4. Processing happens after production (i.e., when a fruit or vegetable is 

grown and harvested). Explain that food processing changes food from 

its original form. The food might be changed to make it easier to eat, 

such as peeling and slicing an apple, or bagging prewashed salad. 

Processing can also be done to preserve food so we can still eat it 

after the growing season has ended. Common preservation methods 

are: canning, drying, or freezing. 

52 Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov
53

LESSON 8

VEGGIES 

MANY WAYS

Fresh, frozen, and canned 

vegetables are all nutritious 

choices. A vegetable that is 

ripe when harvested and 

frozen soon after can actually 

have more vitamins and 

minerals than a fresh form 

of the vegetable that’s been 

picked before it’s ripe and/or 

stored for a long time. For 

some vegetables, heating 

can actually make certain 

nutrients easier for the body 

to absorb and use.

REVIEW THE FOOD SYSTEM

Provide an overview of these five 

steps in the food system:

Production:

Farmers produce 

fruits and vegetables by 

growing them on their farms.

Processing:

The fruits and 

vegetables are processed before 

they are sold. The food can be 

washed, cut, mixed, and packaged 

to preserve it or make it more 

appealing (i.e., tastier or easier 

to use) for the customer.

Distribution: 

When the food 

has been processed, it is 

ready to be distributed to 

stores and is transported by 

airplane, truck, or train. 

Consumption:

After customers buy the food, 

they consume it by eating it 

cooked or raw.

Composting/Recycling: 

Uneaten food scraps are 

disposed of (either composted 

to return nutrients to the soil

or sent to a landfill).

5. Have students reflect on the different ways fruits and vegetables can be 

eaten. How might they change from the garden to the plate? Ask students 

to think about how fruit might become fruit juice. Demonstrate juicing an 

orange, or have students help you using a hand juicer. Ask students to 

identify what is left behind in the orange that is not part of the fruit juice. 

(Parts of the fruit that separate the orange into sections; membranes that 

contain fiber.) We eat more of the orange when eating slices rather than 

when drinking the juice. Ask students if they think this might affect the 

nutrients found in juice as compared to the whole fruit.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Activity I. Fantastic Fiber (20 minutes, Health/Science)

1. Write the word fiber on the board, and ask students if they know 

what it is or what it does for the body. Do they know any foods that have 

fiber? Do meats or dairy foods have fiber? Explain that fiber is found only in 

plant foods (i.e., fruits, vegetables, whole grains). It is not found in animal 

foods like meat and dairy. Some fiber comes from the parts of the plant 

that help it keep its shape and give it structure, like the individual sections 

you see in an orange or the skin on a potato. It’s also in the small seeds 

you might eat as part of the fruit, such as in a strawberry or kiwi fruit. 

Fiber naturally occurs in many fruits and vegetables. Beans and peas 

are an excellent source.

2. So how does fiber work? What does it do? One of the ways fiber helps the 

body is to act like a scrub brush or broom, moving food along through the 

digestive tract. Fiber also helps the body feel full longer after eating. Note:

Visually demonstrate the process showing a bottle brush in a paper-towel roll.

Activity II. Fiber Investigation 

(40 minutes, Health/Science/English Language Arts/Math*)

*See p. 54 for Math connection.

1. In this activity, students will practice reading the Nutrition Facts label to 

determine the amount of fiber in 1⁄2-cup portions of various fruits and 

vegetables. The Nutrition Facts label is usually found only on packaged foods 

(i.e., canned, frozen, and dried fruits and vegetables) and not fresh produce. 

Labels for some fresh fruits and vegetables have been provided on the 

student handout to give students experience in comparing fruits and 

vegetables. You may also use the USDA’s online SuperTracker, Food-aPedia (https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/foodapedia.aspx) to find 

out how much fiber is in various foods. 

Teacher Tip! A brief video tour on how to use Food-a-Pedia is available 

at https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/sitetour.aspx (see Section 4 

of the User Guide). Alternatively, Team Nutrition also has Nutrition Facts 

labels for fruits and vegetables that you can print and use in class. Find 

them at: http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/NutritionLabels.pdf.

Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov 53
LESSON 8

2. Distribute the Finding Fiber handout (p. 85) and divide the class into pairs. 

Direct students to look at the top-left label (A). Invite students to share what 

information they notice and explain what they think it means. Can students 

identify any of the following on the label?

Serving Size: Ask for students to look for the words “Serving Size” on the 

first label (100% Apple Juice). In this example, the serving size is 4 fluid

ounces, equivalent to 1⁄2 cup. Explain that the information on the label is

based upon one serving. 

Fiber: Students can tell the amount of fiber in the food by looking at the

grams of fiber on the label. The label also provides the percent daily value

(%DV). The %DV is a number that tells you if there is more or less of a daily

recommendation of something in a serving of the food. A %DV of 5% or

 less is low; 20% or more is high. Choose foods that are higher in fiber.

 Note: All serving sizes on the Nutrition Facts labels on the handout are equivalent 

to 1⁄2 cup of fruit.

3. Which foods contain the most fiber? (The whole orange and apple slices

contain the most fiber.) Which has more fiber: a whole orange or orange juice? 

(The whole orange.) An apple or apple juice? (Apple.) What does this tell you 

about the amount of fiber in juices verses whole or cut-up fruit? (Whole fruit 

contains more fiber than juice. Juice contains little fiber.) Were all of the whole or 

cut-up fruits high in fiber? (No, different fruits have different nutrients, which is 

why you need to eat a variety.)

Activity III. Fabulous FRUIT (40 minutes, Health)

 *Allergy Alert! See p. 2 for more information on food safety and allergies 

before starting this food preparation activity.

FIND THE FIBER

Remind students that people need 

to eat different types of fruits and 

vegetables to get all of the nutrients their 

bodies need for good health. Different 

fruits and vegetables contain different 

nutrients. Some fruits and vegetables are 

higher in fiber than others. In the case of 

100% juice, the fiber has been removed 

during processing. Remember what was 

left behind in the orange after juicing? 

(The membranes that provide the fiber.) 

That’s why nutritionists recommend that 

most of the fruits and vegetable you eat 

come from whole or cut-up fruits 

instead of juice.

FIBER GRAPHS (MATH)

After students have completed their 

investigations, have them graph the 

amount of fiber in various fruits and 

vegetables using information from 

Nutrition Facts labels (from the handout 

or elsewhere) or USDA’s online 

SuperTracker Food-a-Pedia

(http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

foodapedia) Ask: Do all fruits and 

vegetables have the same amounts 

of fiber? (No, the amount of fiber 

varies, which is why you need to 

eat a variety.)

Ways To Process a Food:

Fresh-cut: to cut, peel, or shred fresh fruits and vegetables prior to packaging. 

Fresh-cut products do not require additional preparation, processing, or cooking 

before they are eaten. Baby carrots and apple slices are examples.

Juice: to extract (take out) the juice from a food. Orange juice and tomato juice 

are examples.

Cook: to heat a food to prepare it for eating. Tomato sauce and applesauce are examples.

Preserve: to keep food safe to eat for a longer period of time. Canned, frozen, 

and dried fruits and vegetables are examples.

Ways To Preserve a Food*

Freeze: to have the liquid in a food change to a solid because of extreme cold

Can: to store food in a can or jar that has been heated and sealed to prevent spoilage

Pickle: to preserve food in vinegar, brine, or another liquid

Dry, or Dehydrate: to preserve food by removing the water from it

*Note: This is not a complete list of preservation techniques.

DIG DEEPER! 

Have students take their fruit 

investigations further. They can:

• Count how many times they see ads 

 for fruits and vegetables during their 

 favorite television show or in their 

 favorite magazine. Have students compare

 the number of these ads to ads for other

 food products. Is there a difference? Ask

 students to speculate how the frequency 

 of ads for different foods might influence

 behavior and health.

54 Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov
55

Prepare: Set up several stations, each with a serving spoon, with samples of cut-up LESSON 8

fruit in different containers (choose high-fiber fruit – for example, oranges, strawberries,

pears, apples, kiwi, any dried fruit), low-fat yogurt, and low-fat granola (or oatmeal). 

Provide each station with plastic gloves, plastic cups, spoons, and napkins.

1. Tell students that fruit can be a delicious way to add fiber to their breakfast or snack. 

Explain that the fiber will help them feel full until their next meal so they can focus on

school or sports. Students will prepare a recipe featuring fruit in this activity. First, they 

should wash their hands following the correct procedures (see pp. 4-5 for important 

food safety and hand-washing reproducible).

2. Distribute the handout Fabulous Fruit (p. 86). Divide students into groups 

of five and direct them to a fruit station. Give each student a plastic glove,

apron, and a plate and/or cup. Have them follow the instructions to create

the Breakfast Sundae recipe. Each student will create one fruit compote

sundae that he or she can eat as a snack or at breakfast. Encourage them 

to be creative by layering the ingredients. 

3. As soon as students are finished, they may sit down and eat their sundaes.

Invite students to share what they liked about the process and how they

liked their snacks. Ask: Which fruit was your favorite? Did you try a new

fruit? How did the combination of the ingredients enhance the flavor of

each? Would you ever try this recipe again? Why or why not?

REFLECT (10 minutes)

Have students reflect in their Garden Journals about the foods they eat. Ask: How

much is processed? How many whole fruits and vegetables do you eat each day?

How can you get more fiber? Are there any snacks you eat during the day that can

be more nutritious? How can you eat more fruits each day? Have students write

down three tips and then share them with the class. 

EXTENSIONS

Fruity Offerings. If your school offers breakfast, have students look at the menu 

and identify what types of fruits are offered. Students may survey their classmates 

to find out what fruits they’d like to be served more often. Are there any 

suggestions or requests they can make to the food service staff/director?

Local Harvest. Ask local fruit and vegetable farmers to talk with the class about 

how their produce might be processed after harvest. For instance, carrots from 

local growers might be washed, sliced, and frozen for use in school meal programs.

Healthy Snack Track! Have students track their snacks for a week. Did any of 

their snacks include fruits and vegetables? What are some ways they could eat 

more fruits and vegetables as snacks?

Poll the Favorites. Have students interview teachers, coaches, and school 

administrators to find out their favorite fruit or vegetable snack. Create a bulletin 

board showing the results.

Shop Fruits and Veggies. Have students review their family’s shopping list for 

the week. Does it include a variety of fruits and vegetables? Are there fresh, frozen, 

canned, and dried fruits and vegetables on the list?

PICKING AND STORING 

YOUR GARDEN HARVEST

Have your Garden Teams 

check the garden to see if any 

fruits and vegetables are ripe 

enough for harvest. Encourage 

students to use care not to 

break, scrape, or bruise fruits 

and vegetables when harvesting. 

The less that fruits and vegetables 

are handled, the longer they will last 

in storage. ( pp. 104-105) Harvest 

only produce of high quality. Rotting 

produce and produce infested with 

insects should not be used. Use 

cleaned and sanitized food-grade 

containers, such as plastic bins or 

buckets, to hold harvested produce. 

Most garden produce should be 

refrigerated immediately after 

harvest, unless it is normally 

held at room temperature 

(such as tomatoes). 

Dig In! • Grades 5-6 • http://teamnutrition.usda.gov 55