Healthy Combinations - Add Fruit!

Fruit is healthy for preschoolers. It is nutrient dense, provides fiber, and contains nutrients, such as vitamin C, that may be hard to get from other foods. Luckily, the sweetness and convenience of fruit makes it an easy sell to preschoolers. If your preschooler enjoys fruit, add it to other foods to create meals and snacks with more appeal, not to mention more fiber and nutrients!

Yogurt and Fruit

Sure, it's easy to find fruit yogurt and smoothies in the supermarket. But those have lots of added sugar and may not contain any real fruit. If you want to create a simple snack without the extra ingredients in commercial yogurts, mix up these quick, homemade versions.

- Buy plain, low-fat yogurt and add your preschooler’s favorite fruit.

- Use yogurt as a fruit dip.

- Make a fruit smoothie by blending yogurt, honey and fruit. Add orange juice for vitamin C. 

Baked Goods and Fruit

You can add pieces of fruit to just about any homemade baked good. Apple pieces, berries and dried fruit work well.

- Add raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries to cookies or granola bars.

- Add apple pieces or berries to a simple muffin recipe Cheese and Fruit. 

Cheese and Fruit

Cheese and fruit is a classic combination. No doubt you've served your preschooler a snack of cheese and grapes or apples. Cottage cheese also pairs well and your preschooler will get the protein and calcium of cheese and the fiber and other nutrients in fruit. 

- Add pears, pineapple, or berries to low-fat cottage cheese.

Meat and Fruit

The sweetness of fruit can also enhance meat. Fruit adds fiber and fruit nutrients to a food that lacks these important nutrients.

- For a healthy chicken salad, add sliced grapes to chicken and mayonnaise.

- Make a fruit sauce for meats. Cranberries, other berries, pomegranates, cherries or their juices can be cooked with a little sugar and reduced/thickened into a sweet sauce that your preschooler might enjoy as a topping or sauce on pork, chicken or beef.  

Nuts and Fruit

Peanut butter on apples is a classic kid's treat. It's also a great combination of nutrient dense foods.

- Spread apples or bananas with peanut butter.

- Make a to-go bag of nuts, dried fruit, and pretzels or cereal.

by Kati Chevaux

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