Harvest of the Month – Families
Harvest of the Month For Families
Eating Wisconsin-grown fruits and vegetables at home is fun and easy! Check out our resources to add more fruits and veggies to your family meals.
Kids in the Kitchen
Your children are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables if you serve them often for meals and snacks. Sometimes liking new foods takes time. Try these tips to encourage your children to choose and eat more fruits and vegetables.
Let your kids be produce pickers. At the market, let them help choose fruits and vegetables. Point out various kinds of fruits and vegetables. Discuss your favorites. Talk about the colors and textures. Let your child pick out something new.
Let children help cook. Even very young children can help in the kitchen. They can wash berries, tear lettuce, remove the silk from corn, scrub potatoes with a brush and more. If you let children help, they are more likely to eat what you prepare.
Eat together. Make mealtime fun and relaxed. Turn off TVs and cell phones and talk during mealtime. Try new fruits and vegetables together.
Be a healthy role model. Your kids learn from watching you. Eat fruits and vegetables for meals and snacks and your kids will, too.
Surround your child with healthy choices. If you give a child the option between an apple or a candy bar, most will choose a candy bar. But if the choice is between an apple and a peach, the child will choose an apple or a peach. Both are great options!
Fruits and Veggies by Season
Harvest of the Month features 20 different fruits and vegetables that are seasonally available in Wisconsin. Five fruits and vegetables are featured each season to encourage local procurement of Wisconsin products when they are available. Materials are not branded with specific months or seasons
and schools may choose to select any fruit or vegetable to feature during a given month. Some Wisconsin produce items are provided frozen and may be good options to feature during winter.
Click on the buttons below to learn more about each fruit and vegetable.
Autumn
Winter
Spring
Summer
Storing and Keeping Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (1)
Follow these tips to keep fresh fruits and vegetables safe for eating:
At Home
- Wash hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds before and after handling produce.
- Wash all surfaces and utensils (cutting boards, counter tops, knives, etc.) with hot water and soap before and after preparing fruits and
vegetables. - Rinse all fresh fruits and vegetables under cool running tap water, even those with skins and rinds that are not eaten.
- Rub or scrub firm-skinned fruits and vegetables with a clean vegetable brush while rinsing under running tap water.
- Never use dish soap or bleach to wash fruits and vegetables.
- Store fresh fruits and vegetables separate from eggs, raw meat, poultry, or seafood in the refrigerator.
Cook
- Remove and throw away or compost bruised or damaged portions of fruits and vegetables before cooking or eating raw.
- Throw away or compost any fruit or vegetable that will not be thoroughly cooked if it has touched raw meat, poultry, or seafood.
Chill
- Refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables within 2 hours. The sooner the better.
Throw Away or Compost
- Throw away or compost prepared fruits and vegetables that have not been kept cold for the past 2 hours.
Adapted from: Partnership for Food Safety Education. www.fightbac.org