Foods That Kids Will Love: ABC Fruit Salad
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What is an ABC Fruit Salad:
One of the things that parents do in the course of raising children is entice them to eat healthy food. Fruits and vegetables are two of those food groups that are introduced to children when they are around six months old and eating solid food. Sometimes it takes creativity and imagination to prepare the food to interest your toddler.
Here is a cute recipe to help your child discover some healthy food choices and learn what letters these fruits begin with. I call it the ABC Fruit Salad and the fruit can be mixed up in any way you desire, berries or bananas, cranberries or cherries, and of course apples. For my sample here I chose an apple, some blueberries and, since it is no longer the growing season, dried cherries.
It is such a simple recipe to put together: have your toddler or preschooler help you pick out the fruit you will use; wash the fruit; cut it into bite-sized pieces; and serve. It takes less than fifteen minutes to put this nutritious morning or afternoon snack together. Or, serve it at breakfast or as a side dish for lunch.
Suggested Fruit Choices to Mix and Match
Apple
| Banana
| Cherry
|
|---|---|---|
Apricot
| Blueberry
| Currants
|
Asian Pear
| Blackberry
| Cranberry
|
Photos of Kid Friendly Fruit Salad
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Cook Time
Ingredients per child
- 1 Apple, any variety, bite sized pieces.
- 1 T blueberries, blackberries or banana, Fresh or frozen, bite sized pieces.
- 1 T cherries or cranberries, Fresh, frozen or dried
How to make an ABC Fruit Salad
- Select the fruit you will use to create the A,B,C sequence. Wash all fruit as needed.
- Cut the fruit into bite sized pieces for your child.
- Mix together in his favorite bowl and serve with his favorite spoon.
- Add a side of peanut butter or yogurt to dip in if desired. Enjoy!
Harris Teeter Frozen Blueberries
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 3/4 C | |
| Calories | 80 |
| Calories from Fat | 0 |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Fat 0 g | |
| Saturated fat 0 g | |
| Unsaturated fat 0 g | |
| Carbohydrates 19 g | 6% |
| Sugar 13 g | |
| Fiber 4 g | 16% |
| Protein 1 g | 2% |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Important Nutritional Information for Kids
It’s normal for kids to gravitate towards the fruits over the veggies because of the natural sugar in the form of fructose. Fructose is often associated with the problem of obesity in the U.S., but it’s important to eat fruit as part of the daily requirements for the development of strong bodies. The obesity problem increases when the beverages offered to a growing child is fruit juice or soda pop and not milk or water.
To enhance the absorption of nutrients it’s important to eat the fruit in its most natural state-fiber intact whenever possible, such as an unpeeled apple. Or, combine the fruit with a protein, which slows the higher sugar level of the fructose, a simple sugar, into the bloodstream, which will then result in a spike in the blood sugar level. Want a lower glycemic level? To lower the glycemic level of a fruit combine it with peanut butter, cheese slices, or Greek yogurt. Together these foods will enter the bloodstream at a slower rate and be slowly metabolized by the liver.
