Researchers who examined the results of 2011-2012 statistics on the food habits of more than 3,100 children and young people aged 2 to 19 years from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, found that whole fruits made up 53% of fruit consumption overall and 100% fruit juices made up 34%.
The rest consisted of mixed-fruit products and beverages that aren’t 100% fruit.
Children most likely prefer apples over other fruits making it 19% of fruit intake, followed by citrus juice (14%), apple juice (10%) and other fruit juices (9%). Next in popularity were bananas and melons, the survey found, said study author Kirsten Herrick, a senior service fellow with the US National Center for Health Statistics.
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is a familiar proverb, but what makes this fruit so special?
Researchers at the Florida State University stated that apples really are a “miracle fruit.” They found that older women who ate apples everyday had 23% less bad cholesterol (LDL) and 4% more good cholesterol (HDL) after just six months, according to benchmarkreporter.com.
Apple is high in fiber and thus very good for the digestive system. They are often known as “nutritional power houses” because they incorporate important nutrients such as Vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, minerals and many others.
Herrick said, “Only 40% of US youth meet the target for consumption on any given day.” The study shows that more than half of total fruit consumption, though, does come from eating whole fruits, which is a very good sign.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says that offering fruit often, as a snack or part of meals, can make a big difference in encouraging kids’ healthy diets. They advise adding fruit to cereal or a child’s lunch box, or including Vitamin C-rich fruits in meal preparation.
