Transcript Gifts - UTTC Tribal Land Grant College

Gifts from the Earth: Fruits
and Vegetables
Today’s Topics
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What are fruits and vegetables?
Benefits of Eating Fruits and
Vegetables
Cooking and Food Safety Tips
“5 to 9 A Day”
What is a serving?
Gardening: Traditional Fruits and
Vegetables
What are fruits and
vegetables?
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Fruits: Ripened, seed-bearing part of
a plant
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Delicious to eat raw or cooked
Vegetables: Edible portion of plants
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Eaten with the main course of lunches
and/or dinners, salads, soups
Benefits of Fruits and
Vegetables
Low in fat and
calories
 No cholesterol
 High in
vitamins
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High in fiber
 High in minerals
 Low in sodium
 High in
phytochemicals
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Low in Fat and Calories
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Fat and calories are needed by our
bodies every day….BUT,
Eating too many high fat, high calorie
foods can make us gain weight.
By being overweight, we have
increased the chance of getting
diabetes and other health problems.
No Cholesterol in Fruits and
Vegetables
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Cholesterol is a fat substance needed by
the body.
Eating foods high in cholesterol and
saturated fat (animal fat) increases blood
cholesterol levels.
High blood cholesterol levels can lead to
heart disease.
High in Vitamins
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Vitamin A
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Needed to keep eyes and skin healthy.
Found in fruits and vegetables as betacarotene, which is used to produce
vitamin A.
Choose at least one high vitamin A fruit
or vegetable each day, like carrots,
squash, or pumpkin.
High in Vitamins
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Vitamin C
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Needed for growth and to heal cuts and
wounds.
Choose at least one high vitamin C fruit
or vegetable each day like oranges,
grapefruit, and their juices.
High in Vitamins
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Folic Acid/Folate
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Needed to prevent birth defects, heart
attacks, strokes, and some cancers.
All people need folic acid/folate.
Women of child-bearing age should take
in 400 micrograms of folic acid each day.
Choose at least one high folate/folic
acid fruit or vegetable each day like,
broccoli, oranges, and leafy greens.
High in Fiber
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Needed for proper digestion by
adding bulk to the diet
Fiber is found in the skins of fruits
and vegetables like apples, prunes,
and potatoes.
High in Minerals
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Potassium
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Needed for our muscles to move and to
maintain healthy blood pressure
Good Sources: Bananas, Tomato Juice,
Orange Juice, Potatoes, Acorn Squash
Calcium
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Needed to make healthy bones
Good Sources: Dark, Leafy Vegetables
like broccoli and kale
High in Minerals
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Iron
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Needed to get oxygen to the body’s cells
Good Sources: Dried fruits like prunes
and raisins
Magnesium
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Needed for muscles and nerves to work
and for our body to get energy
Good Sources: Bananas and Dark, Leafy
Vegetables
Low in Sodium
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Sodium is a mineral important for our
bodies.
Most familiar sodium food is table
salt.
All people should choose and prepare
foods with little salt.
High in Phytochemcials
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Plant chemicals
“fight-o-chemicals”; fighting to
protect our health
Protect our cells from harmful
substances that can cause cancer,
heart disease, and many other health
problems
Other Benefits
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Taste Great
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Original Fast Food
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Come in their own convenient packaging
Easy to Prepare
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Fresh fruits and vegetables on a hot summer
day
Can be prepared fast and easy
Adds Color and Variety to Meals
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Rainbow of Colors: blue/purple, green, white,
yellow/orange, and red
Buying and Preparation Tips
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Choose 100% fruit juice fortified
with vitamin C.
Choose fruits canned in their own
juice or in water.
Buying and Preparation Tips
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Fruits and vegetables can become
high fat foods during preparation,
cooking, and service.
Choose fresh vegetables, low sodium
canned vegetables, frozen vegetables,
or rinse canned vegetables with water
before cooking.
Buying and Preparation Tips
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Buying fresh fruits and vegetables in
season makes them cheaper.
Ripe fruits and most fresh vegetables
can be stored in the refrigerator.
“5 to 9 A Day”
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Why 5 to 9?
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Research shows eating five to nine
servings of fruits and vegetables a day,
helps to prevent cancers, obesity, heart
disease, high blood pressure, and even
diabetes.
Eating five to nine fruit and vegetable
servings a day is one of the most
important things you can do to promote
good health.
We are not reaching the “5 to 9 A Day” goal!
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Over 75% of all Americans are not
eating the recommended servings of
fruits and vegetables everyday.
On an average, only 44% of students
enrolled in six Tribal colleges
reported eating only 1 to 3 servings
of fruits and vegetables in “ONE
WEEK.”
What is a fruit serving?
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¾ cup fruit juice (6 ounces)
¼ cup dried fruit
½ cup canned fruit or applesauce
1 medium piece of fruit
½ cup fresh fruit
What is a vegetable serving?
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¾ cup vegetable juice (6 ounces)
1 cup salad greens
½ cup raw vegetables
1 medium potato
½ cup cooked vegetables
Can People on a Budget Eat “5 A
Day”?
“If we take care of the seeds,
they will take care of us.”
- Native American
Gardening
“Every little thing is sent for
something, and in that thing there
should be happiness and the power to
make happy. Like the grasses showing
tender faces to each other, this we
should do.”
- Black Elk
Black Elk Speaks