In the News - June 2009
Fruits, veggies make easy summer snacks
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.
For more information on nutrition,
health and wellness, contact your county extension agent or visit
www.uaex.edu. The
Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
June 12, 2009
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187
ljames@uaex.edu
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