Key Issue S :

Easy ways to 

follow the 2005 

Dietary Guidelines for 

Americans

Want to add more color, crunch, and flavor to your menus? Offering a wide variety of vegetables provides a quick and 

easy way to make school meals pop with dazzling eye appeal and 

help students get the nutritional benefits they need. By eating more 

vegetables, students develop lifelong habits that promote good health!

Fact Sheet

for Healthier School Meals

Vary Your Vegetables

Recipe for Success

Go for variety!

 Offer different veggies every day, and include servings in each of 

these groups over a week:

• Dark green: broccoli, spinach, romaine lettuce, and other dark leafy 

greens

• Orange: acorn and butternut squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and 

pumpkin

• Dry beans and peas: black beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo 

beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, split peas, 

pinto beans, and white beans

• Starchy: corn, green peas, green lima beans, and potatoes

• Others: cauliflower, celery, cabbage, tomatoes, green beans, and 

iceberg lettuce

Boost the nutritional value!

 Offer plenty of raw veggies to get more dietary fiber.

 Use herbs or no-salt spice mixes instead of butter or hard margarine 

to season vegetable dishes to lower saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, 

and extra calories in vegetable dishes.

 Buy canned vegetables labeled “no-salt added” or choose lower 

sodium products.

Add more veggies to meals and snacks!

 Prepare veggies in different ways: fresh, cooked, as a side dish, 

or entree. For example, make a vegetable stir-fry or chicken Caesar 

salad.

 People who eat more 

vegetables as part of a 

healthy diet are likely to 

have a reduced risk of some 

chronic diseases.

 Most children and adults 

need to eat more dark green 

and orange vegetables, 

and dry beans and peas 

(legumes).

 Vegetables provide important 

nutrients, including vitamin 

A, vitamin C, potassium, 

folate, and dietary fiber. 

 The 2005 Dietary Guidelines 

for Americans recommend we 

eat 2 1⁄2 cups of vegetables 

every day (based on a 

2,000-calorie meal plan).

 Offer a wide variety 

of colorful, appealing 

vegetables every day.

 Start a farm-to-school 

program to obtain fresh 

produce locally. 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 vegetables through USDA’s Commodity Food Program 

and the Department of Defense. Check out the list of available foods 

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

produce/index.asp.

Messages for Students

 Eat a rainbow of colorful 

vegetables at lunch!

 Craving a crunchy snack? 

Grab raw veggies and lowfat dip for a delicious treat!

 Try a new veggie once a 

week─at home or at school.

 Add shredded carrots or zucchini into 

meatloaf, casseroles, quick breads, and 

muffins. Include chopped vegetables in pasta 

sauce or lasagna.

 Serve seasonal veggies like zucchini, squash, 

yams, and sweet potatoes. 

 Include cooked dry beans 

or peas in flavorful mixed 

dishes. Add extra beans to 

casseroles or minestrone 

soup. Or, use white beans in 

your favorite chili recipe.

 Offer garbanzo beans or 

kidney beans on a salad bar.

Make vegetables more appealing!

 Entice your students with colorful and tasty 

fresh vegetables in small, easy-to-eat shapes: 

baby carrots or carrot sticks, green and red 

pepper slices, grape tomatoes, broccoli or 

cauliflower florets, and sliced zucchini and yellow 

squash.

 Have taste tests and offer samples to 

encourage students to try different vegetables.

 Add color to lettuce mix with carrot slices or 

strips, shredded red cabbage, or spinach leaves. 

 Serve low-fat dressing or dip with raw veggies. 

 

Did You Know?

It’s important to wash all vegetables before cutting, 

preparing, or eating them. Under clean, running 

water, rub them briskly with your hands or a brush to 

remove dirt and surface microorganisms. Dry after 

washing.

Remember to keep vegetables separate from raw 

meat, poultry, and seafood while receiving, storing, 

or preparing them.