ZESPRI™ Kiwifruit

Tips from ZESPRI™ Kiwifruit’s resident registered dietitian, Joy Blakeslee, RD.

Kids need fruits and veggies

Did you know that 80 to 90 percent of children ages 4 to 13 are not eating the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables?

Eating enough fruits and vegetables now ensures your child is getting plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber, usually without a lot of calories.

And, while preventing heart disease, cancer and other

diseases typically associated with adulthood may seem so far away, it’s important to establish healthy eating (and exercise) patterns now that may affect a lifetime of good health.

Joy Blakeslee, RD

How much fruit and veggies depends on their age

A moderately active child who averages 30 to 60 minutes of daily physical activity should consume the following amounts of fruit and vegetables each day:

Each kiwifruit contains 1/4 cup. Moms, an adult serving size is two kiwifruit. So, dig in!

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Introducing children to new foods

Children, like most of us, prefer familiar foods.  This can make introducing new foods, even delicious ones, a challenge.  Here are some helpful tips for introducing your children to kiwifruit:

• Enjoy kiwifruit along with your child. Caregivers have a strong influence over a child’s developing relationship with food and food choices. Eating healthy foods like kiwifruit will help your child adopt healthy eating habits early.

• Offer child-sized portions presented in attractive ways.  Kiwifruit comes naturally packaged in a perfect kid-sized serving.  However, if your child objects to the fuzzy outer skin, try peeling and slicing the kiwifruit to encourage tasting.

• Serve kiwifruit along with your child’s pre-established favorite fruits to encourage trial. A simple fruit salad is a great place to begin.

• Children have a natural preference for sweet flavors, so offer kiwifruit at its peek level of ripeness. You can speed the ripening process by placing kiwifruit in a paper bag with an apple or banana.

• Encourage, but do not force, your child to try new foods.  Often repeated trial is needed before a child fully accepts a new food. Stick with it, and you’ll be rewarded in time with a child who eats a variety of healthy foods!

From my kitchen to yours: quick tips with kiwifruit to keep healthy meals fresh

• Top grilled chicken or fish with a jumble of diced GREEN and GOLD Kiwifruit.
• Stir diced kiwifruit into yogurt just prior to serving for a fresh and natural alternative to fruit flavored yogurts.
• Put GREEN and GOLD kiwifruit chunks, bananas and strawberries on skewers and freeze for a frozen-fruit treat or grill as kebabs.
• Serve slices or chunks of kiwifruit with your kid’s favorite dipping sauces, like yogurt, honey or peanut butter (thinned with a little water for sauce consistency).
• Fix a quick salad with baby spinach, kiwifruit slices and mandarin oranges. Instead of salad dressing, just toss the salad with a small amount of lemon juice, olive oil and kosher salt to taste.
• Make a quesadilla with kiwifruit, turkey and low-fat cheese heated inside a tortilla.

Try these recipes today!

• The ZESPRI™ Kids Kiwifruit Cone, full of fresh fruit served up in a white chocolate dipped ice cream cone, will appeal to kids of all ages.
• Keep a supply of ZESPRI™ Tropical Kiwifruit Pops on hand for a refreshing 100% fruit treat.

A quick note on allergies

True food allergies are estimated to occur in just two to eight percent of children. Foods most commonly associated with allergies in children include milk, wheat, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy and fish.  Allergies to kiwifruit are rare. A great resource on allergy is http://www.foodallergy.org.

However, as with other fruits such as strawberries, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends kiwifruit may be introduced between 9 to 12 months of age. Wait till the appropriate time, and you’ll likely reap the benefits of exposing your child to a nutrient-packed delicious fruit.

If you would like to reach Joy Blakeslee, RD, about specific dietary questions concerning kiwifruit, please direct requests to Stephanie Ries at Stephanie.Ries@publicis-pr.com.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waiting until infants are four to six months old to introduce solid foods of any kind.

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