Ideas for fruit messaging
For 3-4 year olds
Introduction
The key with messaging around fruit (and vegetables) is to spark curiosity and enable children to explore new foods they may not have tried at home. This is best undertaken by supporting children to use all 5 senses (sight, smell, touch, hear and taste).
It is important for adults to role model the exploration whilst looking at a new fruit at each session. Chat to the children whilst doing so and ask open ended questions such as what do you see? what do you smell? Remember there should be no expectation that children should taste until they are ready to do so. Praise and encourage children to explore and try new foods to help build their confidence.
Sharing the health benefits of fruit with children
The following examples show how adults can introduce simple, positive messages about fruit during tasting and play activities, using child-friendly language:
| Adult message | >Child message | Activity ideas |
|---|---|---|
| We should eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day | 5 pieces of fruit and vegetables each day helps keep our bodies working |
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| Fruits and vegetables contain fibre which helps keep our digestive system healthy, and reduce risk of constipation | Fruit helps us have happy tummies |
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| Fruits are great for snacking because they are low in calories and only contain natural sugar | Fruits are a great snack |
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| Fruits contains lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which help reduce inflammation and support our immune system | Fruit gives us superpowers to help us stay well |
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| Fruit is an excellent source of fluid, which helps contribute to keeping us hydrated | Fruit is juicy and refreshing |
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Eating a rainbow of fruits: Linking fruit colours to health messages
Children love colours! These examples show how to link fruit colours to simple messages about our bodies. Use them to spark curiosity, play, and conversation to encourage children to try a variety of fruits.
| Colour | Part of the body | Adult message | Child message | Activity ideas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red (pomegranate) | Heart | Red fruits contain antioxidants such as ellagic acid which may help protect against heart disease and has been reported to help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol | Red fruits are our heart helpers |
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| Orange (papaya) | Eyes – daytime vision | Orange fruits contain nutrients including lutein and beta-carotene, which help keep our vision healthy | Orange fruits are our eye helpers |
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| Yellow (pineapple) | Eyes – seeing in the dark | Yellow fruits also contain beta-carotene, which is a form of vitamin A, which helps our body make the hormones it needs to work well. | Yellow fruits are our eye helpers |
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| Yellow (mango) | Skin | Yellow fruits contain lots of vitamin C and beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A, which helps us keep our skin healthy | Yellow fruits are our skin helpers |
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| Green (kiwi) | Bones | Contains vitamins and minerals, like vitamin K which help keep our bones strong. | Green fruits are our bone helpers |
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| Purple (passion fruit) | Brain | Purple fruits are purple because they contain anthocyanins, a powerful antioxidant, that has many health benefits, including keeping the brain healthy | Purple fruits are our brain helpers |
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Information to share with parents / carers
Here is some additional information to share with parents and carers about the new fruits their children have tried in your setting. This offers facts, recipe ideas, and simple conversation starters to help families keep exploring these fruits together at home.
| Fruit | Additional messages | Recipe ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Pineapple | Tinned fruits are just as good as fresh. Tinned pineapple in natural juice is a great way to include more pineapple in your diet |
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| Mango | Dried fruits also count towards your 5-a-day, but should only be included at a mealtime. Dried mango is a great option for packed lunches. |
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| Passion fruit | - |
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| Kiwi | We often forget to add fruit in at breakfast time. Why try adding some chopped fruit into porridge or wheatbisc? Kiwi fruit would work well for this |
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| Pomegranate | - |
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| Papaya | - |
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Continuing the conversation – questions to discuss with child
Use open ended questions and activities to support the children’s experiences such as:
- What does the outside of a pineapple feel like?
- Start a sticker chart to count how many fruit portions you and your child eat across a day
- What sound do you hear when you bite into it?
- If this fruit was a superhero, what would you name them?
- What do you think is inside this fruit before we cut it open?
- What does the fruit look like inside, and what does it feel like in your mouth?
- What does a kiwi fruit feel like?
- How does it smell?
- What words would you use to describe what papaya feels like when you eat it? It is soft like butter? Sweet and juicy like melon?
