Released June 12, 2009
MARION, Ark. - Nutrition shouldn't take a vacation just because the kids are out of school. When kids get hungry, they should reach for nature's fast foods - fruits and veggies, says VeEtta Simmons, Crittenden County extension staff chair with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
Quick, convenient, nutritious and delicious, fruits and vegetables are the perfect summer snack for hungry kids on the go.
"Snacking is a major pastime for many American children - so much so that nearly one-fourth of a child's daily energy intake comes from nibbling between meals," Simmons says. "Much of this nibbling is on prepackaged snack foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients."
The popularity of these empty treats may be one factor responsible for the country's childhood-obesity epidemic, according to Simmons.
Snacking itself isn't bad, she says. "The content of your child's snacks is what's important. Providing healthy snack choices such as fruits and veggies will help your children learn to make healthy food choices in the future."
Fruit and vegetable groups provide vitamins such as A and C, carbohydrates and fiber.
Simmons says it's important that children meet a nutritional goal of five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. "If they're not meeting that goal," she says, "snack time is a great time to slip in a fruit or vegetable serving."
Fresh fruits and veggies are also low in fat, and they help prevent tooth decay and other diseases. With many fruits and vegetables in season at this time, there is a wide variety to choose, she says.
These tips may help make snacking on fruits and vegetables easier for you and your family:
- Keep an easy-to-grab, pre-washed bowl of fruit on the counter.
- Keep an easy-to-grab bowl of sliced or cubed fruit in the refrigerator.
- Make a quick smoothie using low fat yogurt and fresh or frozen fruit.
- Serve raw vegetables with low-fat dip.
- Add apple slices to sandwiches.
- Add apple, raisins or pineapple chunks to salads like chicken, tuna or pasta.
- Make up fruit bags by putting slices of apples, oranges and pears along with grapes in a snack bag.
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http://www.uaex.edu/news/june2009/0612summer_snack.htm
Writer: Lamar James, (501) 671-2187, ljames@uaex.edu
