Richey Elementary Physical Education

WHY YOU SHOULD EAT FRUITS & VEGETABLES

 

Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of many nutrients, such as vitamins A and C, potassium, dietary fiber, powerful phytochemicals.

All of these nutrients are very importance for good health!

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Vitamin A keeps your eyes and skin healthy and helps keep our bodies protected from infections.

Good sources:cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potato, spinach & broccoli

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Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and helps keep our immune systems strong to fight infection.  It also helps keep our 

gums and teeth healthy.

Good sources: Orange juice, grapefruit, fresh pineapple, green pepper & cauliflower

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Potassium helps our nerves and muscles function properly.

Good sources:Potatoes, bananas, tomatoes, avocados, beans, 

honeydew & cantaloupe 

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Fiber keeps food moving through our digestive system.

Good sources:  Apples, pears, grapefruit, potatoes & broccoli

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Phytochemicals are natural substances found in all fruits and vegetables 

that fight to protect our health.

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HOW DO FRUITS & VEGETABLES GROW?

 

Apples

Apples grow on trees that can grow up to 40 feet tall! Most trees in apple orchards today only grow about 8 feet tall.  Did you know that in order for an apple tree to flower and produce fruit, it must rest for about 900-1,000 hours below 45 degrees Farenheit.   

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Banana 

The banana plant is normally tall and fairly sturdy and often mistaken for a tree, but their main or upright stem is actually made up of the rolled bases of leaves, known as a psuedostem.  Bananas grow in hanging clusters.

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Carrots

Carrots are known as a root vegetable because they grow in the ground.  The plant has a flowering steam and the edible part of the carrot is known as the taproot.

 

Grapes

Grapes grow in clusters on long vines and can grow in clusters of 6 to300 grapes per cluster!!

 

Oranges

Oranges trees are a small flowering tree with evergreen leaves and can grow up to 30 feet high. The branches of many orange trees are thorny.

 

Pineapple

The pineapple plant is a small plant that only grows 2 ½  to 5 ft high. The pineapples fruit is grown in the middle like a small flower.  The pineapples itself can vary in size, up to 12 inches long and weigh anywhere between 1 to 10 pounds or more!

 

Pears

Pears grow on medium sized trees, reaching 30-56 feet tall!  They can live 100 years, but they are usually replaced in the orchards after 30 or 40 years. Once the fruit has been picked, it gets softer and sweeter as it ripens.

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Reference:  All Information about fruits and vegetables was graciously shared by

Archangelo Robert

Manager School Lunch Food

Marbrook Elementary School