Key Issue S :

Easy ways to 

follow the 2005 

Dietary Guidelines for 

Americans

We eat with our eyes—then our mouths. If it looks good, we’ll taste it. If it tastes good, we’ll eat it. Because fruits are 

colorful and delicious, they have built-in kid appeal. And because 

they are available in so many forms—fresh, frozen, canned, dried, or 

juice—they give you a quick and easy way to boost the nutrition of 

your school meals and snacks.

Fact Sheet

for Healthier School Meals

Jazz Up Your Menu With Fruits

Recipe for Success

Boost the nutritional value

 Go easy on juice. Offer most fruit whole or cut up to get more dietary 

fiber. 

 Vary fruit choices. Offer fruits with more potassium often, such 

as bananas, prunes, dried peaches and apricots, cantaloupe, and 

honeydew melon. 

 Select fruit canned in 100 percent fruit juice or water, rather than 

syrup.

 Cut the fat with fruit! Try applesauce as a fat-free substitute for some 

of the oil when baking cookies and cakes. 

Add fruit to meals and snacks

 Buy fresh fruits in season when they may be less expensive and at 

their peak flavor; seasonal fruits like tangerines, bananas, or grapes are 

great on a salad bar. 

 Add crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, fresh apples, or grapes to 

your favorite salad mix or coleslaw.

 Offer baked apples, fruit cobbler, or a fruit salad for 

a dessert treat!

Make fruit look good and easy to eat 

 Choose a variety of fruits with 

contrasting colors and shapes to 

catch kids’ attention.

 Cut up fruits, especially apples and 

oranges, to make them kid-friendly 

and easy to eat.

 People who eat a variety of 

fruits as part of a healthy 

diet are likely to have a 

reduced risk of some chronic 

diseases.

 The 2005 Dietary Guidelines 

for Americans recommend 

that we eat two cups of fruit 

every day (based on a 2,000 

calorie meal plan). 

 Remember, fruits: 

• provide nutrients that 

we need for good health, 

such as potassium, fiber, 

vitamin C, and folate.

• are naturally low in fat, 

sodium, and calories.

• have no cholesterol.

 Offer a variety of fruits every 

week.

 Contact local farmers to start 

a farm-to-school program 

to obtain high quality fresh 

produce. To get started, go 

to: www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/

Guidance.
United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from 

discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. 

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 

1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or 

(202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Food and Nutrition 

Service

For more information: 

www.MyPyramid.gov

www.teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/fv_galore.html

http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/schoolmeals/

Recipes/recipefinder.php

www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/index.html

USDA Commodity Food Program

You can stretch your food budget and insure high quality by ordering a 

wide variety of fruits through USDA’s Commodity Food Program and the 

Department of Defense. Check out the list of available fruits at 

www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/schcnp/ and www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/

produce/index.asp.

 Serve low-fat yogurt as a dip for fruits. 

 Try a fruit smoothie at breakfast! Blend fat-free 

or low-fat milk or yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit 

like bananas, peaches, or berries. 

 For fresh fruit salads, mix apples, bananas, or 

pears with acidic fruits like oranges, pineapple, or 

lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.

 Serve individual containers of fruits like peaches 

or applesauce as part of a grab-and-go lunch or 

snack.

Messages for Students

 Cut-up fruit makes a great snack. Or, try whole 

fresh berries or grapes. 

 Dried fruits also make a tasty portable snack. 

Try dried apricots, apples, pineapple, bananas, 

cherries, figs, dates, cranberries, blueberries, 

prunes (dried plums), and raisins (dried grapes). 

 When you’re craving something sweet, think fruit. 

It tastes delicious—with no added sugar.

Did You Know?

 It’s best to wash all fruits (including melons and 

oranges) before cutting, preparing, or eating them. 

Under clean, running water, rub fruits briskly with 

your hands or a brush to remove dirt and surface 

microorganisms. Dry after washing.

 Remember to keep fruits separate from raw meat, 

poultry, and seafood while receiving, storing, or 

preparing.