Presentation Guidelines: Fruit & Vegetable Use

To acquire skills in planning, purchasing, preparing and serving fruits and vegetables in meals and snacks.
To acquire knowledge about the nutrient contributions fruits and vegetables make to the diet.
To identify ways to incorporate the number of recommended servings of fruits and vegetables from the Food Guide Pyramid.
To learn principles of safe care and handling of fruits and vegetables.
9-10, 11-13 - Demonstrate mastery of preparation steps and nutritional contribution of product chosen to represent a healthy choice of fruits and vegetables.
14-18 - Present a creative, knowledge-based presentation of fruit and vegetable products. Food preparation skills are not emphasized.

Eligibility:
Individuals or teams may compete.

9-10 - 4-H'er must be 9 years old prior to January 1 of the current year and not have reached their eleventh burthday before January 1 of the current year.
11-13 - 4-H'er must be eleven years old prior to January 1 of the current year and not have reached their fourteenth birthday before January 1 of the current year.
14-18 - 4-H'er must be fourteen years of age prior to January 1 of the current year, and not have reached their nineteenth birthday before January 1 of the current year.

Presentation Ideas:

9-10, 11-13

14-18

Each presentation should be knowledge based with little to no focus on food preparation skills.

Resources:

Many associations provide nutrition and preparation information on specific fruits and vegetables.
Ask the food and nutrition agent to look up your fruits/vegetables in the resource directory section of THE NOTEBOOK to see if there is a marketing association for them.
USDA publications on the Food Guide Pyramid, Dietary Guidelines and Nutrition Facts label.

Rules/Regulations:

Any fruit(s) or vegetable(s) may be used in presentation. Legumes except peanuts are in this category. Peanuts have a category of their own. High calorie/high fat items are discouraged.
A serving of a recipe chosen for presentation in the 9-10, 11-13 Division should contain at least 1/2 cup fruit, vegetable or a combination to qualify for this category.
See the NC 4-H Presentation Regulations for more specific information and regulations for Breads, Fruits & Vegetables, Dairy Foods, Peanut Foods.

See NC 4-H Presentation Regulations.
NC 4-H Presentation Scoresheet 9-13...in PDF
See Dairy Foods/Breads/Peanut Foods/Fruits & Vegetable Foods Scoresheet (used for 14-18)

Suggestions/Helpful Hints:

Choose new ways to present fruits and vegetables in meals.
Contact commodity associations for information on specific fruits and vegetables.

Judging:

Judges will review each presentation and complete a judge's score sheet. 9-10, 11-13 uses Standard Score Sheet; 14-18 uses special score sheet.
9-10, 11-13 only may serve the judges a small portion of the finished product. To reduce cost, place stress on presentation and not product taste, and reduce the food waste following presentation.
All presenters should practice answering questions about the information they have given in the presentation. Judges will be instructed to ask questions following each presentation.

Awards:

District Winners

State Winners

Donor:

NC Development Fund Specialist:

NC 4-H Youth Development