Vitamin A and carotenoids are nutrients that have many different uses by the body. Some carotenoids protect against heart disease, others encourage the health of the eyes, and others protect against the development of many kinds of cancer. Beta carotene is the most abundant of the carotenoids. The body converts carotenoids to vitamin A. Studies are showing that we may need other kinds of carotenoids as much or more than beta carotene.

Liver, egg yolks, whole milk and butter are all rich in vitamin A. You may also recognize that these are high fat foods. Beta carotene and other carotenoids are found in fruits and vegetables, foods which are low in fat and high in fiber. These foods tend to be very colorful - dark green, orange or yellow - and are attractive to children.

Vitamin C helps to repair tissue and promote healing. Low intakes of vitamin C may be associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease and many kinds of cancer. In addition, a vitamin C-rich food can help the body to absorb the iron that is present in a meal. Unlike vitamin A, vitamin C is not stored well in the body. Therefore, it is important to serve at least one food rich in vitamin C each day.

As you can see from the table below, fruits and vegetables are the only meal components that provide vitamin C. The fresher the fruit or vegetable, the more vitamin C it provides. Fruits that contain seeds should be seeded or pitted prior to serving them to little children.

Because fruits and vegetables bring so many important nutrients and fiber to the diet, the United States Department of Agriculture has recommended that everyone eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. This 5 A Day Program is an easy way to guarantee that children are getting the health promoting fiber and vitamins from fruits and vegetables. It is also a valuable tool for teaching children and their families about the importance of eating these foods. The CACFP helps to assure that children are receiving enough fruits and vegetables by requiring that each child be served:

• One at Breakfast
• Two at Lunch or Dinner
• One can be selected for Snacks

Strategy: Look at each day's menu and consider the colors of the fruits and vegetables that your are serving. Are you offering deep green, yellow and orange colored foods? Consider changes that you can make that will assure that these vitamin-rich foods are served.

Teaching children: Have each child bring one vegetable from home to be used as an ingredient for soup. In the morning, the cook can collect, chop and cook each vegetable separately. At lunchtime, the children add each vegetable in turn to a cup and cover them with a seasoned broth. Over lunch, discuss with the children how good the soup tastes and the different flavors, textures and colors of the vegetables.

Educating families: Copy the "I Eat Colorful Fruits and Vegetables Every Day!" chart found in appendix for each child. Help the children use a crayon to fill in each space with the color of the fruit or vegetable eaten at day care. Send the chart home for completion. This will help to increase families' awareness of their child's need to eat five fruits and vegetables each day, and show them which colors of fruits or vegetables may be missing from their child's diet.

Planning for change: After providing an inservice training on the health-giving attributes of vegetables, ask staff members to help you come up with ways to increase vegetable intake by the children. Ideas may range from the teachers modeling "5-A-Day" eating to having a tasting party. Also, consider ways that vegetables can be prepared or presented that would be appealing to children. Keep in mind that the attitudes and behaviors of children's care givers have significant influence on the eating habits of preschoolers.