A Few Vegetables

Lead-in

  • How many times a week do you eat healthily?
  • What do you consider to be healthy food? What are some examples?
  • What is the tastiest vegetable in your opinion? What about the one with the worst taste? 

Presentation

Pre

  • When was the last time you ate some vegetables? What were the vegetables?

Top Down

  • What is the text about? Read it and find out.
  • The importance of vegetables and fruits.
  • How to eat more fruits.
  • How to stop eating fast food.
  • The importance of vegetables and fruits.
  • How to eat more fruits.
  • How to stop eating fast food.

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower the risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect on blood sugar, which can help keep the appetite in check. Eating non-starchy vegetables and fruits like apples, pears, and green leafy vegetables may even promote weight loss. Their low glycemic loads prevent blood sugar spikes that can increase hunger.

At least nine different families of fruits and vegetables exist, each with potentially hundreds of different plant compounds that are beneficial to health. Eat a variety of types and colors of produce in order to give your body the mix of nutrients it needs. This not only ensures a greater diversity of beneficial plant chemicals but also creates eye-appealing meals.

Tips to eat more vegetables and fruits each day

  1. Keep fruit where you can see it. Place some ready-to-eat washed whole fruits in a bowl or store chopped colorful fruits in a glass bowl in the refrigerator to tempt a sweet tooth.
  2. Explore the produce aisle and choose something new. Variety and color are key to a healthy diet. On most days, try to get at least one serving from each of the following categories: dark green leafy vegetables; yellow or orange fruits and vegetables; red fruits and vegetables; legumes (beans) and peas; and citrus fruits.
  3. Skip the potatoes. Choose some other vegetables that are packed with different nutrients and more slowly digested carbohydrates.
  4. Make it a meal. Try cooking new recipes that include more vegetables. Salads, soups, and stir-fries are just a few ideas for increasing the number of tasty vegetables in your meals.

Modified from source

Bottom Up

  • True or False
  1. Some advantages of eating vegetables and fruits are: lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.
  2. At least eleven different families of fruits and vegetables exist, but only nine have potentially hundreds of different plant compounds that are beneficial to health. 
  3. Everyone should eat a variety of types and colors of products in order to give their body the mix of nutrients it needs.
  4. One useful tip is to place some fruits in a bowl in the refrigerator to tempt a sweet tooth.
  5. People should choose some other vegetables that are packed with different nutrients and more slowly digested carbohydrates than carrots.
  1. Some advantages of eating vegetables and fruits are: lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. True
  2. At least eleven different families of fruits and vegetables exist, but only nine have potentially hundreds of different plant compounds that are beneficial to health. False
  3. Everyone should eat a variety of types and colors of products in order to give their body the mix of nutrients it needs. True
  4. One useful tip is to place some fruits in a bowl in the refrigerator to tempt a sweet tooth. True
  5. People should choose some other vegetables that are packed with different nutrients and more slowly digested carbohydrates than carrots. False

Post

  • What do you think you need to improve about your eating habits? 

Target Language

QUANTIFIERS

Countable

A few

  • They have a few euros left.
  • I own a small food company with only a few products.

Many

  • Many of my friends are scientists.
  • She bought many carrots.

Uncountable

A little

  • I only ask for a little patience.
  • He made a little extra money yesterday.
  • The kids listened to him for a little while.
  • My diet was restricted to liquids and a little bread.

Both Countable and Uncountable

Some

  • I was serving myself some fruit salad.
  • In fact, they have frequented the place for some time.

A lot of / lots of / plenty of 

This dish is like a risotto with a lot of / lots of / plenty of spice.

No / Not any

  • There wasn’t any sugar or coffee.
  • There’s no milk in the kitchen.
  • I think there aren’t any salad dressings.
  • She served a dish with no tomatoes or other accompaniments.

Controlled Practice

  • Choose the correct option for each sentence.
  1. Catarina picked a few apples/apple from a fruit tree in the grove.
  2. The US would export only a little/a few rice.
  3. When there are lots of/off documents to be signed, I choose to abbreviate my signature.
  4. There is/are plenty of comfort food.
  5. Just as sugar replaced fat in the old low-fat snacks, fat is replacing carbs in much/many low-carb products.
  1. Catarina picked a few apples/apple from a fruit tree in the grove.
  2. The US would export only a little/a few rice.
  3. When there are lots of/off documents to be signed, I choose to abbreviate my signature.
  4. There is/are plenty of comfort food.
  5. Just as sugar replaced fat in the old low-fat snacks, fat is replacing carbs in much/many low-carb products.

Freer Practice

  • Use the target language and complete the sentences according to your own ideas.
  1. Many things are…
  2. One thing I like to eat is…
  3. In my fridge there are plenty of…
  4. Many vegetables are…
  5. I hate eating… but sometimes I…

Production

  • Use the target language to talk about each vegetable or fruit below:

Example: I love carrots but I don’t usually eat them because there aren’t a lot of them in the market near my house, and they are also very expensive.

  • Tomatoes
  • Cabagge
  • Lettuce
  • Broccoli
  • Orange
  • Kale
  • Zucchini

Homework

Complete the sentences’ halves with the options given.

any cinemas in this city / plenty of homework to do / no water in the fridge  / in a few hours / many people waiting

  1. I am very thirsty but there’s…
  2. The line to buy the tickets is huge, there are…
  3. I wanted to watch that new movie but there aren’t…
  4. I wish I could go out later but I have…
  5. Mom will finish her work…
  1. I am very thirsty but there’s no water in the fridge.
  2. The line to buy the tickets is huge, there are many people waiting.
  3. I wanted to watch that new movie but there aren’t any cinemas in this city.
  4. I wish I could go out later but I have plenty of homework to do.
  5. Mom will finish her work in a few hours.

Choose the best option for each sentence.

Example: I have just a few / a little money in my purse > I have just a little money in my purse.

  1. I’m a little / a few worried about your sister.
  2. I’d like to have any / some orange juice, please.
  3. There isn’t no / any milk in the supermarket.
  4. There are many / a little doctors working in that hospital.
  5. There were lots of / any food at the party yesterday.
  1. I’m a little worried about your sister.
  2. I’d like to have some orange juice, please.
  3. There isn’t any milk in the supermarket.
  4. There are many doctors working in that hospital.
  5. There were lots of food at the party yesterday.

Fill in the gaps with no, any, a few, a little or some.

Example: You don’t have ___ work to do right now > You don’t have any work to do right now.

  1. I’m going to buy only _______ clothes at the store.
  2. Please, put _______ sugar in my coffee.
  3. There’s _______ time to waste, we’re late!
  4. The baby got _______ scared of the dog.
  5. They don’t have _______ money to pay for the cab.
  1. I’m going to buy only a few clothes at the store.
  2. Please, put some sugar in my coffee.
  3. There’s no time to waste, we’re late!
  4. The baby got a little scared of the dog.
  5. They don’t have any money to pay for the cab.

Put the words in the correct order

Example: bought/ she / of / plenty / carrots > she bought plenty of carrots.

  1. any / there / biscuits / jar / the / there / in / aren’t
  2. made / friends / of / she / lots / school / at / new
  3. like / please / some / I’d / salad
  4. explained / he / few / that / a / with / words
  5. he / time / to / no / had / her/ talk / to
  1. There aren’t any biscuits in the jar.
  2. She made lots of new friends at school.
  3. I’d like some salad, please.
  4. He explained that with a few words.
  5. He had no time to talk to her.

Find and correct the mistakes.

Example: I don’t have no pets > I don’t have any pets.

  1. I just need a few time to think.
  2. She spent a lot money yesterday.
  3. I don’t want no meat, thanks.
  4. She is little impatient.
  5. I have only a little dollars left.
  1. I just need some time to think.
  2. She spent a lot of money yesterday.
  3. I don’t want any meat, thanks.
  4. She is a little impatient.
  5. I have only a few dollars left.

Writing

Write a short text about the last time you went groceries shopping.

Example: Last week I didn’t spend a lot of money because I went to a cheap supermarket and bought a few oranges and…