The Grab 5 program is a lifestyle initiative run by the Virginia Horticulture Centre, designed to promote healthy eating and physical activity with a major focus on the vegetable industry. The main aim of this program is to increase long term consumption of fruit and vegetables by students, as part of a healthy lifestyle.
The school setting is ideal for young children to learn about healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. It is a social environment that shapes eating behaviour and can play a large role in ensuring that health-enhancing eating behaviour is learned, practiced and supported.
With use of the Healthy Eating Guidelines obtained from the Department of Education and Children Services, as well as the South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability Framework, the Grab 5 program aims to provide fun learning activities for students, that will increase their understanding of the variety of vegetables, health benefits of vegetables and the growing/processing cycle of vegetables, i.e. market gardening/horticulture industry.
The aims of this program are:
- To increase long term consumption of fruit and vegetables by students, as part of a healthy lifestyle.
- To provide fun learning activities for students, that will increase their understanding of the variety, health benefits, and the growing/processing cycle of fruit and vegetables.
- To engage the children in fun, thought-provoking and interactive activities which encourage them to think about what types of foods they eat, and what they can do to improve their own diets.
- To provide activities that directly relate to the Australian guide to healthy Eating, as well as the South Australian Curriculum, Standards and Accountability Framework.
- To provide ideas of activities that take the 5 a day message home to parents and other family members.
As part of the Grab 5! Program the participating class will receive the following:
- 5 x 1 hour classroom lessons with the Grab 5! Program Coordinator. This will include cooking and other ‘hands’ on activities.
- The opportunity to participate in excursions, competitions, and events arranged by the Grab 5! Program.
