How Much Fruit Kids Need and 10 Ways to Get It!

By Dr. Michael Wald, Board Certified Nutritionist, Certified Dietician Nutritionist

Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco, P.C / 914-242-8844 (Ext. 1) / www.intmedny.com/www.bloodDetective.com

This summer we have been eating a lot of fruit around our house… a lot!  Fruit is one of nature’s most perfect foods! It has enough calories and fiber to be filling.  It is packed with antioxidants and vitamins that we haven’t even discovered yet.  And the carbs and natural sugar from fruit, sent to your brain for energy cannot be matched with anything synthetic.  Caffeine or refined sugars cannot compare with the energy from fruit.

Here is our counter a day after shopping (so partially eaten already)

So, how much fruit do kids need?  The goal is to make half of every meal fruits and vegetables, but at the very least, kids ages 2-8 should be eating 1 1/2 cups of fruit per day.

For this to happen, and to train your kids to not be picky eaters, we recommending getting fruit in all varieties, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried, juiced, pureed etc.  Just because fresh may be the healthiest way of all to eat fruits and vegetables, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t teach kids to eat them in a variety of ways.  Kids who experience different textures and tastes will more likely have a more mature palate that is wiling to try new foods.

Our favorite ways to eat fruit include

1. Smoothies; take a few ounces of fruit juice (we like Orange Juice). Add a few spoonfuls of plain yogurt. Lastly a generous handful of frozen fruit (like frozen strawberries, blueberries, bananas etc. Blend and pour into tall glass.
2. Dips; skewer fruit such as melons, berries, bananas etc. Then provide a dip. Some of our favorites are yogurt and cottage cheese.
3. Fruit Salads; Just after your grocery trip, cut up, wash, and chop your fresh fruit. Store in an airtight container to eat from during the week. For breakfast, pull it out, provide your children with some fruit salad. For lunch, snacks etc, it’s very convenient.
4. Convenience foods like fruit leather and dried fruit are perfect for an on the go, healthy snack.
5. If you are all out of fruit, offer 100% fruit juice. Orange juice is still a good source of folate and vitamin C. Just limit juices so it doesn’t interfere with a child’s appetite, diminishing his or her desire for real food. Or, make your own juices!
6. Give applesauce a different texture by making it yourself. Boil cut up apples with some cinnamon till the apples are soft. Mash apples with a fork. Include some of the cinnamon-flavored water if you need to make it smoother.
7. Pumpkin is a good source of Vitamins C and E and has loads of antioxidants. Mix canned pumpkin with applesauce, plain yogurt, or any baked goods such as breads and muffins.
8. Replace applesauce for oil in baked goods. Other mashed fruits you can add or substitute are mashed bananas or prunes.
9. Add frozen blueberries, strawberries, or other fruit to pancake batter, or top pancakes with berries after you pour the batter onto the griddle during cooking time.
10. Stir 100% fruit jam into plain yogurt and mix well.
11. Dr. Wald’s favorite fruit smoothie recipe is: take a handful of organic, frozen, mixed fruit (available in most regular stores) and drop the handful into a blender; add ½ water and ½ organic apple juice (or only water) in an amount that is diluted to your taste and desired thickness. Add Dr. Wald”s, Reds Protect, Green Detox and Longevity Complete at 1/3, ½ or 1 full scoop of each depending upon taste. These special concentrated food powdered products have been especially designed by Dr. Wald to help meet and exceed the needs for nutrition normally found in a large variety of fruits and vegetables. Go to: www.BloodDetective.com to order. Simply Delicious!