If you are going to promote fruit and vegetables at school, at some point you will need to get your hands on some fruit and vegetables. Where you obtain them depends on how much you need.

Here's how to work out how much you will need:

Once you know the amount of produce you are after you can think about where to get it from:

If you are looking at regular deliveries you should get a few different quotes and compare different services. Make sure your suppliers are all quoting for the same thing by giving them a specification which states:

• How much produce
• When to be delivered and how often
• Delivery address
• What types (you can specify or ask for a seasonal selection)
• Quality (see box)
• Sizes (small apples, pears and bananas are often easier for children to cope with)

Tell your potential suppliers about the project. They are likely to be very supportive of any initiative that encourages people to eat more fruit and vegetables!

Check deliveries and keep an eye on the number of portions that are spoiled, bruised or rotten. If it is more than one or two in a delivery talk to your supplier.

Understanding quality standards Most common varieties of fruit and vegetables are covered by EU quality standards. There are three classes: Extra Class: excellent quality and usually only very specially selected produce, Class I: good quality produce with no important defects, Class II: reasonably good quality but deficient in one or two requirements such as shape, colour, small blemishes and marks. Class II produce is cheaper and just as nutritious as class I produce. The only differences are cosmetic ones - shape, colour and blemishes.