Blueberries, strawberries, oranges, bananas, mango, grapes – just a scraping of the powerhouse antioxidant-rich fruit that we desperately want our kids to eat.
Ever heard of phytochemicals? These are chemicals that are found in fruit which work alongside vitamins and nutrients to keep our bodies healthy.
Do we want our kids to eat them? Yes, yes, yes!
Up to a certain point, we can usually make it a rule that our children eat fruit and vegetables – no going outside until all the chopped apple has been eaten for example, or no dessert until all the veggies are gone from the dinner plate. However, when they grow into discerning teenagers, skeptical and sometimes defiant, life takes an about turn, and we have to re-think almost every method we've ever used.
It's difficult for us to understand why our teenagers don't eat the good food, especially since they are now supposed to be 'more mature,' and 'grown up.' Ahh, but maybe that's it. There is only a fraction more maturity in the teen brain, they are only just beginning to find themselves; and one of the things that many have discovered, is that they do not like fruit. So …
How Do We Help Our Teenagers to Love Fruit?
- If your teen dislikes the taste of berries, try covering them in a layer of dark chocolate. This is not as indulgent as it may appear, because dark chocolate contains many amazing antioxidants. Place the chocolate covered berries in the fridge for about one hour, then eat and enjoy. (You can, of course, do this with any fruit.)
- If tomatoes are a problem, try frying them in a little oil, preferably olive oil because of the good fats and antioxidants. Even though the vitamin C level will diminish with the cooking, the Lycopene (an antioxidant that studies have shown may help toward eliminating certain cancers), is multiplied. The taste of cooked tomatoes is very different to uncooked, your teen may like them.
- The avocado, although widely seen as a vegetable, is actually a fruit, and is displayed with the fruits in supermarkets. This is a highly nutritious food which, because of its creamy texture, can be disguised as chocolate spread simply by adding some melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder. If your teenagers like chocolate mousse, then place whipped avocado and melted chocolate in the fridge for a couple of hours.
- Apples can be pureed along with the skins (apple skins are very nutritious), and you can buy baby apple puree, which contains the skin. (No need to tell the teens.)
- Oranges can be squeezed and made into a delicious fruity drink. (It's interesting how often people will drink orange juice but not bother eating oranges.)
- All fruit can be made into a smoothie. Add a little organic ice cream or yoghurt and a cup of crushed ice and you have a tantalizing dessert.
Banana and Berry Smoothie Recipe:
- 1 banana
- 1/2 a cup of vanilla yoghurt
- 3/4 cup of frozen pears
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
- 1 tablespoon of concentrated orange juice
Chop the banana and add all ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth. More ice can be added if desired.
Frozen fruit is just as good for teenagers as fresh, the vitamins are preserved and it is extremely handy for smoothies, or even as a popsicle on a stick.
So it can be done. We don't have to do anything too drastic, just play around a little. Ask your son/daughter what his/her favorite sweet flavor is, and see if you can incorporate that flavor into a healthy fruit dish.
Need more ideas on healthy happy living? Read also Healthy Happy Chocolate Eating and Healthy Happy fruit for You and Your Family.
Source:
KidsHealth. "A Parent's Guide to Surviving the Teen Years" (accessed March 9, 2011).
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