Eat Your Fruits & Veggies! Top Tips for Kids

Are your kids getting their recommended daily cups of fruits and vegetables? If the answer is no, they are not alone. Obesity numbers tell the story of what’s on our kids’ plates more than any other statistic. According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three kids in the U.S. is overweight or obese and in Canada the figure is 26%.

Children’s weight is the number one health concern among parents, and it’s no wonder. Obesity is responsible for an array of health problems including high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, and a shorter life span than even their parents.

Healthy fruits and vegetables continue to take a back seat to sugary, fatty foods, and the battle to nudge kids toward more nutritious fare is in full swing. Recently, media reports show that adding a light mist of sugar makes vegetables more palatable to kids until they develop a taste for veggies. While a spritz of sweet may bridge the gap for kids whose veggies end up being pushed around the plate, there must be another way to help kids get their daily recommended cups.

In fact, there’s plenty of advice when it comes to increasing kids’ fruit and vegetable intake. But the best piece of advice for parents is to keep trying. It takes time for children to develop a taste for new foods, and a little culinary manipulation can be a good thing.

Here are 5 of our favorite ways to extend our efforts to give kids the nutrition they need and tip the scale in the right direction.

Help Kids Get Their Cups! Our Top 5 Tips

Tip #1: Exploit Fruit.

For kids over the age of three, USDA dietary guidelines recommend 11/2 cups of fruit per day and 2 cups of veggies. So if your kids are eating fruit, that’s nearly half the battle. Luckily, nature has provided fruit with their own appeal: sweet taste, bright color, easily edible packages – sometimes just taking advantage of fruit’s built-in charm is all that’s necessary.

For a great snack idea that ups the cups, go blue. Wild blueberries are our choice for a food kids always love. Wild blues are a perfect choice for every day munching because they are nutrient-rich food that adds important dietary nutrients without the “empty” calories that are important for kids to defy the obesity statistics. Eating them straight from the freezer is a popular snack for kids (parents, too), and while they are good by the bowlful, they also make duller foods better, thanks to their fun color.  Add blues to nearly everything to get an antioxidant punch (and an easy half cup!), including cereal, yogurt, salads, and even proteins for a sweet splash that appeals to young tastes.

Once you have your blues, keep tiny Tupperware® on hand so fruit salads can be used as an on-the-go snack to replace processed foods. You can also skewer fruit pieces for a fun, colorful way to snack, make a fruit pizza, or blend fruit together for much-loved Yogurt Fruit Pops. Or make fun recipes from fruit that mock their boxed counterparts, like these Blueberry Pop Tarts courtesy of Mogwai Soup, and consider the war against poor eating habits on.

Tip #2: Make Veggies Yummy.

Think your kids won’t eat vegetables? Put a kid-friendly twist on a dish and stand corrected. To appeal to younger palates, get creative by taking advantage of the ready-made sweetness of carrots by making Maple Glazed Carrots, or cook up some Zucchini Chips for an irresistible crunch kids love. Dips are also great for youngsters: slice up peppers, cucumbers, broccoli and cauliflower and pair them with a little dressing (one that’s not loaded with sugar and fat) and those veggies will disappear. Try these kid-approved dish ideas from My Recipes (including Maple Glazed Carrots and Zucchini Chips) to spark some ideas to take veggies from ho hum to yum.

Tip #3: Eat Just One Meal Together.

Finding it difficult to sit down to dinner every night? Take heart. The latest news about family meals is surprising, but for the time-challenged, it’s all positive. Eating a meal together just once a week will boost fruit and veggie intake, according to new research. The study, published in Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, shows that kids who eat together with their family consume more portions of produce than those whose families don’t share a meal. Whether it’s Sunday brunch or a single weekday dinner, that one visit to the family table could work magic in the quest for daily cups – among other benefits.

Tip #4: Be a Food Marketer.

The smarty-pants that changed the name of the Indian beetle to the “ladybug” must have known something about marketing. A simple name change, it seems, can turn yucky into yummy, and that’s a lesson in marketing that works as well in the kitchen as it does in the boardroom.

Consider the story of a mother that started calling Brussels sprouts “hero buttons” and changed the way her kids looked at this less-than-popular veggie. Could it be that simple? Sure. When spinach smoothies become green monsters and dinner vegetables become appetizer “snack plates” you’ll start counting up daily cups. In fact, researchers involved in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health study also found a link between fruit and vegetable intake among the kids and how the produce was presented on the plate. Simply cutting up fruits and veggies led to kids eating more. Presentation is everything, even when it comes to nutrition!

Tip #5: Get Kids Involved.

Of all the inventive, resourceful techniques to get kids to embrace healthy food, our #5 is a guaranteed winner. Parents and experts agree that when kids are part of the process of making meals, they are more likely to understand the benefits of whole, nutritious food, including fruits and vegetables. So let kids help with the shopping – have them choose a new favorite fruit or vegetable from the produce section, for example. And, involve them with meal preparation as well by enlisting them to wash, measure, toss, or add spices. Getting kids involved provides healthy eating lessons they’ll take with them forever. Try these 10 ways to get kids involved from Fruits and Veggies More Matters.

Get Kids in the Game!
Noticing more activity in your kitchen? It could be because school vacation is in full swing for kids around the country. It’s a perfect time for getting kids involved in games that teach them about fruit and veggie nutrition. Fruit and Veggies More Matters has “Food Champs” for just this reason!

Eat Fruits & Veggies When You Need Them Most

5 Ways to Increase Your Daily Cups When It’s Cold Outside

When the mid-winter freeze is in full swing, it’s easy to wax nostalgic about the fresh fruits and vegetables of summer. Holding onto warm-weather memories may be one reason we tend to eat fewer fruits and veggies in the winter. Ironically, it’s the time of year when we need them more than ever: healthy eating and optimum servings can boost our immune system and our mood at a time when winter blues can seem to be as much of an epidemic as the flu.

It may be cold outside, but that’s no excuse to wait for summer to fill your plate with disease-preventing, nutrient-rich foods. To keep your eye on your health this season, remember that the USDA recommends 2 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables, on average, for a total of 5 cups every day. Make the extra effort to pile fruits and veggies on your plate when you need them most – when the snow flies, the mercury drops, and shorts sleeves and sandals are just a memory.

Increase Your Cups This Winter – 5 Easy Ways

1. Bake Your Fruits. Winter is the perfect time to indulge in delicious baked fruits and get your recommended cups warm from the oven. Not available fresh? No problem – find fruit in the frozen aisle. Frozen is perfect for baking and has all the taste and nutrition of fresh. Homemade desserts are also an ideal way to avoid the processed treats that swarm the store shelves. Warm Wild Blueberry Pie delivers a nutritious punch in a classic package. Or, opt for the fresh-from-the-oven comfort of this Bread Pudding smothered with wild blueberries for taste and disease prevention in one helping. PBS’s Fresh Taste offers up these phyto-rich baked apples to warm your cockles – an easy way to enjoy a cup of fruit. (Just one more to go!)

2. Enjoy Sauces. Love a piping hot tomato sauce in the wintertime but worried about what the impact of eating like Mario Batali could have on your health? Don’t despair. Tomatoes are full of lycopene, known to possess antioxidant properties, and cooked tomatoes are the best-case scenario – cooking actually boosts their nutritional value. Not to mention, their pairing with pasta is the ultimate comfort food, and adding kale or other leafy greens can easily add bulk as well as nutrition.

Make your sauce at home for the healthiest option – it’s easy. According to Marcella Hazan, creativity is overrated when it comes to sauce – this classic recipe will do just fine. Or, pull back on the pasta by making use of your sauce with seafood and consider the omega-3s you’ll get an added bonus.

3. Make Soup. Soups are an excellent winter option: they are veggie-packed and offer homemade warmth for winter nights. Soup can also provide meal planning relief because of its versatility — assembly can be a cinch with just a few kitchen staples.

This Carrot Parsnip Soup takes advantage of winter veggies, as does this hearty Winter Vegetable Soup if a substantial meal is in order. Need more slurp-worthy ideas? These Best Soup Recipes from Cooking Light keep calories minimized while maxing-out taste.


4. Roast Your Vegetables. Root cellars have gained popularity for food lovers as a way to store winter vegetables like potatoes, onions, parsnips, and squash when they are inexpensive and available. Even if you aren’t using designated storage, roasted root veggies are a warm winter alternative to salads. Try these Honey Roasted Root Vegetables or a Roasted Root Vegetable Quesadilla. Or, discover the wonders of roasting or baking less common vegetables this season like kohlrabi, leeks or the sweetly delicious and seasonal rutabaga.

5. Bathe Comfort Food in Berries (& Other Healthy F&Vs). Steven Pratt, author of SuperfoodsRx, suggests we “bathe our meals in berries” for optimal nutritional benefit and disease prevention. Pairing comfort foods with a helping of high nutrition certainly helps keep the health quotient of our meals in check. Douse a piece of fish with wild blueberry sauce, pair salads with berries, or cover desserts and breakfasts with them – using fresh frozen wild blueberries is a convenient way to make them available by the cup at every meal.

Case in point? These Wild Blueberry Rhubarb Pork Chops, a marriage of comfort and nutrient richness. Or, go ahead and pair the classic comfort of a Ham Sandwich with tasty, antioxidant-rich berries for a pleasing way to rack up your daily cups. You can also combine beloved winter comfort foods like steak and potatoes with nutrition-rich greens like this creamed spinach which keeps the calories moderate and your daily servings in the black.

Get your cups this winter! Know the facts about the USDA Dietary Guidelines and fill half your plate with fruits and veggies!

Fruit Sugar Fear: Facts & Fictions

Sometimes it seems our relationship with sugar resembles a turbulent tango. We pull it close when we want it, in cookies, cakes, and sodas. But even when we pull away, it’s there – in prepared foods, condiments, and crackers. It plays with our brains and makes us want it more. There’s no sugar-coating it – we love it, and we can’t quit it.

Yet we must. Unhealthy amounts of sugar in our diets are adding calories, increasing rates of obesity and its associated diseases, and even adversely affecting those who are not overweight. Our tumultuous affair with sugar is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, inflammation, and even stroke.

Because of the dangers associated with Americans’ high sugar consumption, moderating sugar intake is a priority. But for some, sugar fear has lead to Atkins-level abstinence, causing some of us to blame all sugars, including fruit sugars. Some dismiss fruit completely because they consider it full of sugar, high in calories, or a danger to blood glucose levels. Some reckless diet peddlers even recommended eliminating fruit altogether as a way to lose weight.

We know getting the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables is important for proper nutrition and disease prevention. We also know that avoiding fruit sugars is simply wrong-headed.

Putting Fruit Sugar in Perspective 

What are fruit sugars? Fruit sugars are naturally-occurring simple sugars found in many plants. Known by the names fructose, sucrose, and galactose, these natural sugars vary in their amounts from food to food with fruits generally weighing in at around 4-25 grams. Wild blueberries, for example, have 7 grams per 100 gram serving, while a banana contains around 15 (depending on its size). To put this figure in perspective, added sugar in a soda adds up to approximately 60 grams – and that’s without any of the benefits that fruits offer.

Naturally-occurring fruit sugars are part of food’s structural elements. They give fruit and some veggies their sweet taste. When we eat whole fruit, we consume these simple sugars along with a multitude of vitamins, nutrients, minerals, fiber, and valuable phytonutrients. Whole fruits, with their sugars, are the natural delivery system for anthocyanin, a flavonoid with potent antioxidant capacity for powerful health protection potential, including the prevention of heart disease and some cancers, as well as other diseases of aging. For diabetics and those at risk for diabetes, fruit sugars have the advantage. High fiber fruits like berries, for example, decrease the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream, contributing to glycemic control. Simply put, fruit sugars are perfectly healthy – they are no less beneficial than those in any vegetable or carb, and should not be singled out when it comes to health. They provide us with good energy that satisfies our stomachs, hydrates us, keeps us moving, and quiets the daily ravages of cellular inflammation our bodies experience. And, they do so in a low-calorie, delicious package.

At a time when we are encouraged to decrease our intake of empty calories in favor of nutrient-rich ones, fruit sugars are a gift from nature, wrapped in a velvet ribbon. The best part may be that they are available to us both fresh and in their nutritional equal, frozen. That’s right – fruit sugars literally grow on trees (and bushes).

Wild Blues Have A Sweet Advantage

Cutting calories without sacrificing nutrition is a wise weight-loss strategy, and seeking out fruits that deliver the best nutrition and taste is sound nutritional advice. While embracing a variety of fruits is good nutritional practice, some fruits get the nod when it comes to big benefits. Wild blueberries, like all whole fruit, are naturally low in fat, high in fiber, and have no added sugar, sodium, or refined starches. But with more total antioxidant capacity than 20 other common fruits, they lead the pack in antioxidant capacity, thanks to their high anthocyanin content. They are also rich in manganese, which is important for bone development. And, when it comes to low-calorie nutrition, wild blueberries excel. They have just 45 calories per 100 grams (71 calories in a cup), and deliver nutrients and antioxidants in every one. Watching your sugar intake? There’s no better way to moderate than to eat naturally-occurring fruit sugars via this powerful blue package of nutrients.

In addition to their intense nutrition, wild blueberries can help equip us to prevent diabetes. In fact, a number of researchers have reported on the anti-diabetic effects of blueberry-supplemented diets. Wild blueberries are also a low GI food (they score a low 53, and they have a low glycemic load to boot). Understanding the glycemic values of food, especially for people with diabetes, make it easier to plan meals and pay attention to weight loss and appetite control.

The Bottom Line 

Concerns about sugar consumption in our diets are warranted, but turning our back on whole fruit would be a nutritional calamity. Fruit packs an intense nutritional punch that provides us with valuable disease prevention properties, weight control benefits, and helps stabilize blood sugar and glucose levels. Naturally-occurring fruit sugars are nature’s way of delivering the goods in a perfect nutritional package.

In an effort to moderate our sugar intake, we should start with avoiding additives by reading juice labels and choosing fruits packed in water. We should shop for whole fruit in the produce section or in the frozen food section, and seek out labels with as few ingredients as possible – ideally, just one. Then, we should monitor sugar creep in cereal, sodas, processed foods and desserts. Finally, we should eat 3 cups of vegetables along with the recommended 2 cups of fruit, and choose them in a variety of deep, rich colors. Then, we’ll be saying hooray for fruit without reservations for all it does to support our health, our waistlines, and our taste buds the way no other food on earth can.

Learn more about eating sugar in moderation. SweetSurprise.com is a trusted source for accurate information on the subject of high fructose corn syrup and how to moderate your sugar intake.

Fruit Flash Mob! Create Some Colorful Chaos

What is a flash mob for fruit? It’s an inspiring hat’s off to edible color!

The credit for this creative way to promote the health benefits of servings, in their rainbow of colors, goes to the kids at an elementary school in Norfolk, Virginia. We love that this raucous crowd includes a giant “hollah!” for blue fruit (and a dancing blueberry at 2:20). Great job, mob!

Ready to do your own fruit flash mob?

Consider the surprise of grocery store shoppers (try the chips and snacks aisle for a little nutritional irony) or fast food restaurants when you and your mobbers go all in to flaunt the wonders of fruit. We’re not suggesting anarchy…but a flash mob for fruit might be just the reminder we need that getting our servings of high nutrition, high antioxidant content, and a deep, bright, variety of color is crucial to health and disease prevention. As Norfolk Elementary would say, Whoo Whoo Blueberries! Whoo Whoo Apples!

How to Organize a Fruit Flash Mob:

1) Know your purpose.
Your mob should make a point and be fun, too. Touting fruit and veggie servings? Find a way to make your position clear in a way that is satirical and entertaining.

2) Get a mob.
Large mobs can be assembled on social media sites like flashmob.com, but smaller mobs can be found with a bunch of willing friends. Large spaces usually require large numbers – a New York City street needs at least 50 – but smaller venues work fine with 10 or more.

3) Choreograph a dance, or write or adapt a song.
Mobs must be original and lively, and that can be accomplished best by dancing or singing. Other types of creative mobs include freeze mobs, mime mobs of Guinness Record mobs.

4) Prepare.
Provide clear instructions to your mob to ensure accuracy and timing, and then rehearse. Mobs do best when participants join gradually – start with a leader and let the others join in 1-3 at a time, until everyone is participating.

5) Check for safety.
Safety or legal restrictions are a must for flash mobs. Check your location first to make sure you are not blocking others from their activity or obstructing exits. Flash mobs should surprise and delight, not hinder.

6) Remember to blend.
The key to a successful flash mob is pretending that nothing happened. Be sure everyone blends straight-faced into the crowd when it’s over, and save the post-mortem for later.

7) Remember the video.
You’ll want to upload it to YouTube.com, post it on your blog and twitter account, or keep it for posterity and inspiration to others.

Think you can outdo Norfolk Elementary’s Fruit Flash Mob? Organize your own and send the results to [email protected]. We’ll post the video on Wild About Health and let our readers be the judge!