Fruit for children:
- Set a good example for children by eating fruit everyday with meals or as snacks.
- Offer children a choice of fruits for lunch.
- Depending on their age, children can help shop for, clean, peel, or cut up fruits.
- While shopping, allow children to pick out a new fruit to try later at home.
- Decorate plates or serving dishes with fruit slices.
- Top off a bowl of cereal with some berries. Or, make a smiley face with sliced bananas for eyes, raisins for a nose, and an orange slice for a mouth.
- Offer raisins or other dried fruits instead of candy.
- Make fruit kabobs using pineapple chunks, bananas, grapes, and berries.
- Pack a juice box (100% juice) in children’s lunches versus soda or other sugar-
sweetened beverages. - Choose fruit options, such as sliced apples, mixed fruit cup, or 100% fruit juice that are available in some fast food restaurants.
- Offer fruit pieces and 100% fruit juice to children. There is often little fruit
in “fruit-
flavored” beverages or chewy fruit snacks.
Keep it safe:
- Wash fruits before preparing or eating them. Under clean, running water, rub fruits briskly with your hands to remove dirt and surface microorganisms. Dry after washing.
- Keep fruits separate from raw meat, poultry and seafood while shopping, preparing, or storing.
Source: USDA, MyPyramid.gov
Make fruit more appealing:
- Many fruits taste great with a dip or dressing. Try low-
fat yogurt or pudding as a dip for fruits like strawberries or melons. - Make a fruit smoothie by blending fat-
free or low- fat milk or yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit. Try bananas, peaches, strawberries, or other berries. - Try applesauce as a fat-
free substitute for some of the oil when baking cakes. - Try different textures of fruits. For example, apples are crunchy, bananas are smooth and creamy, and oranges are juicy.
- For fresh fruit salads, mix apples, bananas, or pears with acidic fruits like oranges, pineapple, or lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.
Focus on Eating Fruit - Tips 2
