How To Stimulate Your Children To Eat More Fruits And Vegetables?

Fruit and vegetable enjoy deserved reputation as great helpers in our daily attempt to stay healthy and slim and these food products are associated with the reduced risk of many serious diseases.

Studies have shown that there is a connection between increased fruit and vegetable consumption and reduced risk of cancer (including cancer of the oral cavity, throat, stomach, colon and respiratory system). Thus, diet rich in fruit and vegetable is associated with the reduced risk of developing diabetes type 2, stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure (hypertension).

Fruit and vegetable help prevent various diseases, but they are also an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, contain little fat and contain folic acid (green leaf vegetables).

Experts say that it is not true that children do not want to consume fruit and vegetable, which is a common excuse. In countries where fruit and vegetable are traditionally consumed in large quantities, parents have no problem make their children eat their healthy five portions of fruit and vegetable per day.

Since children learn from their parents and they are consuming enough fruit and vegetable, then without any problem, their children will consume these meals, too.

It is best for children at the age of 2-10 to consume fruit and vegetable served in “relaxed” atmosphere, i.e. not to do “drama” about it. As addition to any other food, serve fruits and vegetables to your children with their favorite food.

Just Be Creative

Here are some creative tips on how to make children eat more fruit and vegetables:

Combined with Vegetables: 

• Make mashed pumpkin or sweet potatoes instead of regular mashed potatoes. 

• Power up your pizza with tomato, peppers, mushrooms, pineapple, young garlic and spinach. 

• Add vegetables in the soup. 

• Fill roast potatoes with wheat grains, young garlic, mushrooms and red pepper. 

• Be creative when serving a salad. Do not just make a tomato and cucumber salad, add paprika, shredded mushrooms, grated ginger, onion chopped circles, spinach or any other favorite vegetables. 

Combined with Fruit: 

• Add fruit in green salads – try with pieces of pear, apple, grapes, mango, strawberries, almonds or blueberries. 

• Add blueberries or grated banana in pancakes dough. 

• Add exotic fruits such as papaya, mango or pineapple in fruit salad. 

• Mix apples, ginger, carrot and orange in blender and serve it as a refreshing drink. 

• Pack fresh fruit in a plastic box, so the child can take it to school. Drain a little lemon juice over apples and pears so they would not turn brown. 

With a little creativity and effort you can stimulate your children eat more fruit and vegetable and enrich their diet which will strengthen their body.

Food Combination Of Fruits For Better Digestion

The greatest benefits from foods and the most efficient digestion come from simple meals with minimal food combinations. Thus, the first principle of Food Combining is simplicity and compatibility in meal planning.

Fruits digest best when eaten by themselves as an entire meal. In general, fruits should not be eaten with other foods. If they are, they will be detained in the stomach causing them to begin formation.

Alcohol, coffee, tea, vinegar, condiments retard digestion considerably.

Acid Fruits & nuts - Cheeses are ok because the high fat content of nuts & cheeses acts like a separate meal from the Acid frutis by digesting more slowly.

Acid fruits delay the digestion of sweet fruits.

Tomatoes - May be combined with Low Starch vegetables and either avocados or nuts, and not with starches or proteins.

Sugar & Protein - Fruit & other sugars inhibit gastric juice delaying protein digestion

Melons - Because they decompose even faster than the other fruits. It is advised to eat melons separately from other fuits.

Avocados combine BEST with non starchy vegetables. FAIR with acid fruits & starches. Avocados do not combine well with sweet fruits or proteins.