How to Get Kids to Eat More Fruit

Do you want your kids to eat healthier? Most parents do, but it can be a challenge to get kids to eat fruits and vegetables in place of the many sweet treats that are constantly vying for their attention. Well, there may be an easier way. A new study shows that getting kids to eat healthy foods such as fruit could be as simple as making them more visually appealing.

Fruit for Kids: Do You Need Them to Eat More?

In a study published in the journal Appetite, researchers offered young kids two different plates of fruit. One plate was piled high with uncut fruit, while the other held fruit that had been sliced into shapes – to make them more appealing to the eye. Which plate was more popular? The kids ate more fruit from the plate with the shapes than they did the uncut fruit every time.

Kids Eating Fruit: The Power of Visual Appeal

What made these kids more likely to eat fruit that had been cut into shapes? Most adults won’t deny that when food is attractively presented, it increases their desire to eat it. Are kids any different? People pay large sums of money to eat dinner at restaurants that give very little food, but make it look pretty. Kids, too, like food that’s pleasing to the eye or is somehow novel in appearance.

Fruit for Kids: Make It Pretty and Fun

It takes a little more time, but if you want your kids to eat fruit, cut it into interesting shapes to make it more visually appealing. Instead of simply slicing melon, use a melon ball tool to carve it into balls. Use a special knife that gives fruits and veggies a rippled edge. You can also use cookie cutters to stamp soft melons such as cantaloupe and honeydew into interesting shapes. What about fruit kebobs? These can be made by placing bite size pieces of fruit on a wooden stick, but make sure your child is old enough not to harm themselves with the stick.

Other Ways to Get Kids to Eat Fruit

For a little variety, give kids a healthy low-fat dip to enhance their fruit and make it creamy and special. Make all-fruit popsicles by pureeing fruit in the blender and putting it into a popsicle mold – or whip up a quick fruit and yogurt smoothie. What child can resist these fruity temptations?

Fruit for Kids: The Bottom Line

Don’t get discouraged because your child won’t eat fruit and vegetables – find a new way to present them. If it’s novel and unique, don’t be surprised if your child asks for more.

References:

Food Navigator website. “Presentation and Innovation Are Key to Kids Healthy Food Habits: Study”.

Are McDonald’s Smoothies Healthy?

In a world where fast food is synonymous with unhealthy, McDonald’s is trying to separate itself from the stereotypical fast food drive-through that fattens up its customers by serving them mega-burgers and greasy fries. A new move that separates McDonald’s from its competitors is the recent launch of McDonald’s smoothies made with real fruit. Sure, a McDonald’s fruit smoothie sounds virtuous. After all, it’s made with fruit – but is it really healthy?

McDonald’s Fruit Smoothies: What’s in Them?

McDonald’s smoothies come in two flavors – strawberry banana and wild berry. To McDonald’s credit, these smoothie drinks are made with real fruit puree and concentrated fruit juices. For example, the strawberry banana smoothie is crafted from a fruit blend of strawberry puree, banana puree, and concentrated apple juice. Additional ingredients that make up less than one percent of the total include xantham gum, citric acid, cellulose, pectin, ascorbic acid, and artificial and natural flavors.

To create a mouth-pleasing smoothie, the fruit blend is added to low fat yogurt and processed in a blender. Keep in mind that the blend is pre-made, so you won’t see the fruit being chopped up and added to the blender, as you would at some smoothie shops. If you want this experience, head to a Smoothie King or Jamba Juice instead.

McDonald’s Smoothies: The Nutritional Low-Down

If you order the smallest McDonald’s smoothie (12 ounces) in the strawberry banana flavor, the calorie content is pretty reasonable at 210 calories. The 16 ounce size has 260 calories. But before you bolt over to McDonald’s to pick up one of these fruity creations, bear in mind that a sixteen ounce smoothie has a whopping 54 grams of sugars – twice the amount in two Snicker’s bars.

On the plus side, you’ll get more vitamin C, fiber, and calcium from a McDonald’s smoothie than you would from a Snicker’s bar. In addition, the pureed fruit supplies some antioxidants. Still, if you’re watching your sugar intake, a McDonald’s smoothie is more of a splurge than a dietary staple.

Are McDonald’s Smoothies Healthy: The Bottom Line

It’s a positive that McDonald’s is taking steps to promote healthier eating and drinking – and a McDonald’s fruit smoothie has more overall nutrition than a soft drink. Still, their fruit smoothies are best used as a dessert alternative – not a drink to sip with a meal. With so many sugar grams, don’t make these drinks a habit.

References:

McDonald’s website.