To help meet nutritional standards and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the fruit requirements are based on the following recommendations:

• Include a variety of fruits each week.
  • Fruits are sources of many essential nutrients such as potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C and folate. Serve a variety of fruit choices, as each fruit differs in nutrient content.
  • At least half of the recommended amount of fruits should come from whole fruits.
  • Fruit juice is lower than whole fruit in dietary fiber and when consumed in excess can contribute extra calories.
  • Select fruits with more potassium often, such as bananas, prunes and prune juice, dried peaches and apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew, melon, and orange juice.
  • When choosing canned fruits, select fruit canned in 100% fruit juice or water rather than syrup.
  • Keep saturated fat and added sugars low when preparing fruit dishes.

• Create brightly colored signs to grab students' attention and post near fruit. Direct food servers and cashiers to remind students that fruit is included in their meal. (Important note: Do not simply place fruit on a student's plate; it will likely go uneaten. It is important to let the student choose to take the fruit, which will likely result in them eating it.)
• Possible locations for signs: on a menu board ("Today's Fruit Specials"), hanging above the fruit stations ("Fresh Fruit Today!", "Last Chance for Fruit!", "Fruit Included in Meals!") and by the register ("Did You Grab Some Fruit for Later?").
• Be creative. Use school colors and mascots to personalize your message. ("[Mascot] Says, Don't Forget Fruit!")
• Train staff members (food servers, cashiers, lunchroom monitors) to smile and prompt students to take fruit; place reminder cards with sample prompts at all work stations.

What Will It Cost?

Time: 30 minutes (creating reminder signs and staff reminder cards, staff training)

Money: $0-$3 (no cost to move the fruit, possible ink/paper costs to make signs)

• Place whole fruits in an attractive bowl or basket to draw students' eyes. Use color to make foods "pop" and look more appealing.
• Use brightly colored ceramic or plastic mixing bowls, woven baskets or tiered dessert stands.
• If you must use metal chafing pans, line the pan with brightly colored cloth napkins or placemats and place on contrasting-color tablecloths.  
• Create color contrast by mixing the whole fruits: apples with oranges, bananas with pears, all whole fruits together, etc.
• Edible-peel fruits (like apples) can be wrapped in clear cellophane or sliced and placed in baggies, if desired.

What Will It Cost?

Time: Five to 15 minutes (moving the fruit, wrapping in cellophane if desired)

Money: $0-$15 (Bowls and linens do not need to be fancy — check thrift stores, the Salvation Army and even your basement for inexpensive supplies.)

• Make fruit available at least twice along the lunch line, either by repeating options or by offering two or more options in different places.
• Possible locations: on a salad bar, in a cooler, on a snack rack, beside the register. Separate canned fruit from fresh fruit and display separately.
• Highlight the new offerings with a sign: "Last Chance for Fruit!" or "Fresh Fruit Today!"

What Will It Cost?

Time: 10-30 minutes (moving the fruit, creating reminder signs)

Money: $0-$3 (no cost to move the fruit, possible ink/paper costs to make signs)

Program requirements for vegetables are based on nutritional standards and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which identify vegetables as important sources of many key nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), Vitamin A, and Vitamin C. The following tips can help you to increase the variety of nutrients offered to program participants:

• Include a variety of vegetables each week (for School Meal Programs, this includes vegetables from each of the vegetable subgroups). The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend including a variety of vegetables from all of the subgroups — dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy, and other vegetables.
• Whenever possible, serve vegetables in place of foods high in calories, saturated fats or sodium. Make sure to keep added fats, sodium and sugars low when preparing vegetable dishes.
• Increase the vegetable content of mixed dishes.
• Offer green salads when possible and incorporate vegetables into most meals and snacks.

• Make names age-appropriate: younger students like fanciful names like "X-Ray Vision Carrots" and "Super-Strength Spinach," whereas older students prefer descriptive adjectives like "Succulent Summer Corn" and "Crisp Celery and Carrots."
• Create brightly colored name cards for the vegetables.
• Display name cards on the lunch line (fold and place on counter or attach to serving window or ledge with tape, magnets or magnetic clips).

What Will It Cost?

Time: 20-30 minutes (renaming vegetables, creating name signs)

Money: $0-$3 (no cost to rename veggies, possible ink/paper costs to make signs)

The odds are, a group of motivated students is savvier to what appeals to their peers than any adult is. Engage the student talent in your school to help make lunchroom changes that truly appeal to young people — and get free help to maintain your changes.

Create a SNAC for your school. Give them a list of the most common vegetables served in your lunchroom and ask them to create age-appropriate names.

What Will It Cost?

Time: Two to four hours (to organize a six to 10 student SNAC and hold a renaming meeting)

Money: $0

Vegetables are often overlooked because they are hard to see and reach, hidden behind a serving counter or under a sneeze shield. They are also downplayed with drab, boring names like "beans" or "corn." Jazz it up! Move vegetables into the spotlight. Increasing students' taste expectations increases their likelihood of noticing and taking vegetables and then eating them. Additionally, signs grab students' attention and direct it to the vegetable options.

• After renaming the vegetables, display the new names where students will see them before entering the cafeteria. Get them thinking about the vegetables while they are hungry and planning their purchases.
• Possible locations: on a poster, menu board or bulletin board outside the cafeteria.
• Great location idea: on the wall where kids wait in line to buy lunch.
• Attractiveness counts. Write or print neatly and use brightly colored ink.

What Will It Cost?

Time: Five to 20 minutes (writing names daily, creating a poster or menu board)

Money: $0-$5 (possible ink/paper costs to make a poster or menu board)