Free fruit
The Free Fruit initiative provides every pupil in Primary 1 and Primary 2 with free fruit three times a week. This aims to encourage healthy eating habits from a young age and to increase the amount of fruit consumed by Scotland's children.
It is recommended that everyone should eat five portions of fruit and vegetables each day and for children one portion is roughly what can fit in their hand, for example a handful of grapes, an apple or an orange.
At home parents and carers can support their children by reinforcing the positive healthy eating messages of eating 5-a-day by ensuring that fruit and vegetables are given as snacks, in packed lunches and as part of meals served at home.
Community involvement
The Free Fruit initiative encourages schools to form partnerships with local producers, retailers or community food projects to provide the fruit and help to support the learning about healthier eating.
Schools could support pupils' learning about fruit and vegetables and their benefits by:
- visiting local farms to see fruit and vegetables being grown
- linking with fruit and vegetable packing or processing factories
- speaking to the local allotments association or group
- growing their own fruit and vegetables with support from interested parents, community groups or businesses.
Useful links
Dole 5 a Day
The Dole 5 a Day website, produced by the Dole Food Company in the United States, emphasises the message about eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. There are separate areas for teachers, parents, catering services and kids, with lots of interactive activities.
Grab 5!
The Grab 5! project is designed to help schools encourage children to eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. The website contains links to resources, news, training and examples of practice. Grab 5! is run by Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming.
5-a-day the Bash Street way
The 5-a-day the Bash Street way resources have been produced by the Food Standards Agency to help schools encourage pupils to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. They include a themed assembly plan and support materials, curriculum support, suggestions for fruit tuck shops and a practical workbook.
