Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

BEAUMONT ISD CHILD NUTRITION DEPARTMENT SY 24-25
FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PROGRAM

The February Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) brings us a mix of red, orange and other 
vegetables and produce this month. Students will taste and learn about Grapefruit, Strawberries, 
Cucumbers, Mango, Minneola, Watermelon Radish, Tomatoes and Berries.
The red/orange fruits and vegetables provide many important vitamins and minerals including Vitamin 
A, B6, C, Kand lycopene which promote gut health, manage glucose and appetite and helps to protect 
against some cancers and help improve heart health too.
Fruits and Vegetables also provides fiber and fluid. Fiber also helps make us feel fuller longer 
which can help with blood sugar/glucose control and weight management. It also helps with digestive 
and gut health by providing prebiotics to feed the bacteria that helps keep the gut healthy. It 
helps to keep our GI tract moving to avoid constipation. Fiber also helps decrease fat buildup in 
our arteries which decreases our risk of heart disease.
When increasing fiber, it is important to also increase your fluid intake, especially water. Water 
is an essential nutrient that is often overlooked. The current guidelines recommend:

•  Children should drink their age in 8-ounce glasses until they reach the age of 8.
•  Children 8 and older should drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water per day, or 64 ounces per day.
•  If a child is involved in outdoor and high intensity activities, more water should be encouraged 
to avoid dehydration.
•  Limit or avoid caffeine and sugar containing water/beverages when trying to hydrate. This can 
contribute to stomach distress, increased cardiac output and blood pressure and further 
dehydration!
•  Adults should drink about half of their body weight in ounces.
•  Cold or cool beverages are absorbed faster in the stomach thus decreasing the risk of stomach 
cramps.
 

Enjoy your fruits and vegetables each day. A bonus is getting more fluid from this produce! In our 
school meals, we serve½ cup total in the daily prekindergarten meals and up to 1 cup of fruits and 
vegetables per day to K-12 grade meals. Adults should consume 5 cups total of a combination of 
fruits and vegetables.

 

 

 

 

 

The FFVP is a USDA/TOA grant that gives Elementary students a chance to taste and learn about 
various fresh fruits and vegetables that they might not otherwise be exposed to! We offer this 
program at Blanchette, Charlton Pollard, Homer and Martin this school year.
This program is funded by USDA. This institution is an equal opportunity employer.