Tips to get a teen to eat fruit
As a study shows 70% of teens rarely eat fruit, a dietitian tells LISA SALMON how to encourage them
IT will come as no surprise that teenagers don’t eat enough fruit, but the extent of their fruit avoidance is quite shocking, as new research suggests the majority of British teens don’t even eat an apple a day.
Adolescents in the UK have diets which are “unhealthy and unsustainable”, according to the Birmingham University research, which found seven in 10 British teenagers don’t even consume 100g of fruit each day – the equivalent of around one small apple.
Dietitian Ursula Arens, a member of the British Dietetic Association (bda.uk.com), says there are many things that can be done to get teenagers to eat more fruit, including...
MAKE SMOOTHIES
Any fruit thrown into a blender with a touch of yoghurt and honey can be delicious, but Ursula warns that shop-bought smoothies tend to be quite high in sugar and calories.
Using frozen berries in homemade smoothies can make them quicker and easier, she suggests.
TRY CHILLI PINEAPPLE
Ursula says stalls in South Africa chop fresh pineapple and sprinkle it with a mix of salt and chilli powder.
“It doesn’t sound like a good combination, but actually, it’s perfect,” she says. “It’s a lovely, sweet and sour, juicy taste, with a bite of chilli to it. It’s cheap, quick and delicious.”
EAT BANANAS WITH PEANUT BUTTER
“Banana slices spread with peanut butter is a magic mix,” promises Ursula. “It’s delicious!”
ADD FRUIT TO CEREAL
Breakfast with cereal and milk is an opportunity to slice in some banana or throw in raspberries or strawberries.
HAVE PRE-CUT FRUIT AVAILABLE
Supermarkets sell pre-cut little fruit bowls, which may be more attractive to teens, but Ursula says: “They tend to be £2-£3, when a packet of crisps is about 50p, plus eating the fruit means they might get sticky fingers.”
DRINK FRUIT JUICE
“Orange juice, for example, is fine, but it’s a much faster sugar hit than eating a whole orange, and you’re not getting quite the fibre,” says Ursula.
“Fruit juice is a better option than a pint of lemonade or an energy drink – a single portion of fruit juice, which is 150ml or a small glass, counts as one of your five-aday.”
However, she points out that even if a teen has several glasses of fruit juice, they would all still only count as a total of one of their fivea-day.
KEEP A FULL, VISIBLE FRUIT BOWL
If you want your teen to eat more fruit, it’s common sense to make sure the fruit bowl is full of fruit they like, and very visible and easy-toaccess, unlike the biscuit tin.
TEACH THEM HOW TO CHOP FRUIT
Chopping fruit, like pineapples, can be off-putting for teens, but it’s a good idea for parents to show them how to do it, Ursula suggests.
“It’s messy, but you should allow them that, because a few years from now when they’re students, living away at uni, they’ll be able to chop a pineapple or a mango up, and maybe impress a partner.
“You need to persuade them that although it’s a bit of a faff, there comes a time when you really don’t want fish and chips every night, and some lovely chopped fresh fruit will be nice.”