Cut Back on Sugar But Don’t Fear the Fruit

Excess sugar consumption can contribute to obesity, but cutting back on sugar doesn’t mean cutting out sweet and nutritious strawberries, nectarines, and apples from kids’ diets. Fruit does contain sugar, but in lesser amounts than cake and cookies, and with much more added fiber and other nutrients. There are 3.5 grams of sugar in half a cup of strawberries and 15 grams of sugar in half a cup of strawberry ice cream, according to this Huffington Post article. What is more, despite its sugar, fruit does not lead to negative health consequences and can actually help protect kids from obesity. According to research in a recent New York Times story, “increased fruit consumption is tied to lower body weight and a lower risk of obesity-associated diseases.”

Is fruit juice a worthy substitute for whole fruit for students’ snack time? Not really – you’re always better off with fresh fruit. We loved the easy-to-remember “hierarchy” of beneficial fruits that Dr. David L. Katz shared in the New York Times article, which ranks fruit sources according to fiber and nutrient content. At the top of the list is whole, fresh fruit, followed by dried fruit, sweetened dried fruit, and fruit juice.

While whole, fresh fruit is best, it can be a challenge to get kids motivated to choose this option. Luckily, schools across the country have come up with creative ways to compel students to get more servings of fresh fruit: 

• Cafeteria workers in South Carolina schools have been experimenting with a cucumber and apple salad.
• An Indiana school puts a new spin on lunch by serving breakfast dishes like whole grain bagels with fruit on the side.
• A school in Pennsylvania started growing its own fruit to engage students and expose them to potential new favorites. 

We also found three more fun and easy ways schools can serve fruit, from Pinterest:

1. Slice up watermelon into strips like French fries and serve them with a yogurt dipping sauce: http://bit.ly/1cwg5Gq
2. Present different fruits in a playful rainbow of colors, including red strawberries, orange slices, yellow melon, green grapes, blueberries, and purple grapes: http://bit.ly/14IQbMy 
3. Create “fruit” scenes, like a beach and palm trees made of orange, banana, and kiwi slices: http://bit.ly/16HF42u

What are your favorite ways to get kids excited about trying and eating new fruits? Tell us at @BagtheJunk or on our Facebook page.