Eating right can be fun
— Today’s parents are quite educated when it comes to the health and well-being of their family. They know that many unhealthy conditions and diseases such as childhood obesity and diabetes can be the result of a poor diet. Now, here’s good news for parents trying to get their kids to eat better: It can be easier when the food appeals to the eye as well as the mouth.
In fact, a recent study published in Pediatrics, Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (BEN Center), found that 239 percent more students lined up at the salad bar when it was decorated using colorful banners, vegetable cartoon characters and fun, nutri- tional education videos.
Putting A Fresh Face On Food
To that end, a company that makes smart snacks has also come up with a clever mascot called Chris B. Green, an apple-faced caped crusader, and his bird, Chirp. It’s all part of the brand’s primary mission of providing healthy snack alternatives—and these cute cartoons can make kids even more eager to enjoy snacking on fruit.
Fruit That’s Neat And Easy To Eat
To make that easier, the company, Crispy Green, has created Crispy Fruit. It’s 100 percent pure fruit; f reeze- dried, bite- size pieces of fruit such as tangerine, apple, Asian pear, banana, cantaloupe, mango and pineapple. The freezedrying process results in a light crispy texture like that of a chip, but with all the nutrients of fresh fruit. They come in individual, single-serving packets that are easy to pop into lunchboxes, soccer bags, overnight totes and backpacks, and provide approximately one serving of fruit and 55 calories or less per bag. It’s a delicious, convenient way to add more fruit to your daily diet, especially when fresh fruit would be impractical.
In fact, a recent study published in Pediatrics, Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (BENCenter), found that 239 percent more students lined up at the salad bar when it was decorated using colorful banners, vegetable cartoon characters and fun, nutritional education videos.
Power Your Lunchbox
Parents can get even more advice and inspiration on what to put in kids’ lunchboxes this school year when they’re “ProPack-tive” and visit www. poweryourlunchbox.com. There, they’ll find a wide variety of creative and delicious lunch options and the Power Your Lunchbox Pledge. That can feed lots of kids, because for every parent who signs it, Produce for Kids will donate $1 to Feeding America. Learn More To find a nearby retailer that carries the snack, go to www. crispygreen.com/ where-to-buy.html. For further facts on smart snacking, visit www.crispy green. com.
Kids are more likely to eat food that’s good for them, studies show, when it’s presented in a cheerful, colorful way.