Hey, Hey, Eat 5 a Day

Abstract

The 1994 USDA Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals revealed the average daily consumption of fruits and vegetables is 4.4 for adults and 3.4 for children. The National Academy of Sciences recommends that everyone eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. A fun and innovative educational program, titled “Hey, Hey Eat 5 A day” was developed to promote fruits and vegetables in the diet; encouraging adults and children to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This experiential learning program has four components: one for adults, one for preschool children, children kindergarten through third grade and one for children fourth through sixth grade. The “Hey, Hey, Eat 5 A Day” kit is presented in a notebook format. The notebook contains: leader's guide, participant handouts, pre-post tests, puppet show, skit, camera ready reproducible, a magic trick, games and instructions for developing three dimensional displays for a “5 A Day” fair. This program reached over 20,000 throughout the nation. Pre/post testing with adults revealed 43% gained new knowledge on number of servings of fruit and vegetables needed daily and 43% gained new knowledge on appropriate serving sizes. Pre-post testing with youth revealed this audience had a good knowledge of nutrition prior to attending the 5 A Day Program. This audience also showed a 20% improvement on their knowledge of fruit and vegetable consumption. This unique and entertaining program can serve as a prototype for dietetic professionals throughout the nation.