Kids on the coast

The importance of including the right amount of fruit and vegies in our diets is well-documented, but what about the practicalities of getting your kids to eat as much as they need to?

The amount of servings needed varies with age and it is recommended that older kids eat up to nine serves of vegies a day – that’s four and a half cups of vegies or nine whole cups of salad.

If this sounds like a mammoth task for you, no doubt you’ve resorted to the tried and tested methods: The “make a face” trick; cutting raw vegies into attractive shapes such as hearts and stars and mixing them with favourites like grapes and cheese; hiding veggies in meatloaves or casseroles; the old favourite of no dessert until the plate is clear or, (as a friend with a passion for permaculture says), “If you get them to grow them, they’ll eat them.”

If you’ve been through all of those and it’s still a daily challenge, how about making sure your kids get their essential vitamins and minerals by turning those boring lumps of fruit and vegies into something bright, refreshing and quick and easy to get down?

It can certainly be fun making fresh juices – it’s colourful and there’s the noise, things splashing about, different sizes and shapes of fruit and the creativity of making up your own concoctions of surprising colours.

So, just how nutritionally beneficial is drinking juices compared to eating fruit and vegies? Sunshine Coast Dietetics dietician Angela Seach says the bottom line for fruit and vegie juices is that it’s not a good idea to use them as a regular substitute for eating the real thing. She says that fruit juices are particularly energy dense and their high consumption can be linked with obesity in children.

“It’s important to consider the amount of fruit needed to make up a fruit juice drink, and the number of kilojoules it contains,” Angela says. “Just half a cup of pure fruit juice, 125ml, is equal to one serve of fruit.”

That means fruit juices can easily eat up your kids’ daily 2+5 recommendation with just one large drink, but Angela says that a fruit juice should be used to substitute no more than one serving of fruit per day.

Other problems with pure fruit juices, she says, are the effects of fruit acids and sugar on tooth enamel, (particularly if fed in bottles), and the lack of fibre resulting in the loss of an essential part of a healthy diet. The Queensland Health website endorses this. Unnecessary sugar can easily be consumed in fruit juice, with an average two teaspoons per single 125ml serving.

Are smoothies a better option using less fruit but adding a balance of fats and protein? “Using a smoothie substitutes a snack for a portion of fruit,” Angela says. “It might stop a child finishing a balanced main meal.”

She says the calorie and fat contents of the milk and yoghurt have to be taken into account, and ice cream can make things even worse.

“There are still more benefits in eating the fruit,” she says.

A careful mix of fruit and veg in occasional fresh juices could still be a way of making sure they’re taking in some of their essential vitamins and minerals. But, if you’re having a tough day getting your kids to eat any fruit or vegies and decide juice is worth the risk, then there are some important guidelines to consider. It is recommended to mix the fruit with some vegies, such as in an apple and carrot juice, and fruit and vegie juices should not be given to children under one-year-old because of their calorie content, and never in bottles.

A colourful concoction will make a drink more attractive so a carrot mixed in with an apple will brighten it up, or make a splash with some fresh, raw beetroot.

The fun of making juices and smoothies is of course experimenting and if you get the kids involved maybe they’ll get enthused about fruit.

When it comes to juicing, costs can skyrocket unless you have your own fruit trees. To avoid damaging your wallet, don’t forget to make the most of fruits in season. Freeze mango cheeks – pop them into yoghurt and milk to make luscious mango drinks all year round. And with strawberry season in full swing check out your local farm where you can pick your own or ask for boxes of seconds. Alternatively, ask at your local fruit and vegetable store for bulk purchase and box discounts. The Maleny Organic Farmers Market and the Yandina Fruit Market both offer bulk discounts on juicing carrots and apples. Fruits of Noosa at Doonan offer discounts for regular orders of 10kg or more, and The Natural Food Store at Forest Glen offers a range of bulk buy discounts including savings on carrots and apples for juicing.

Alternative to soft drinks

Juice bars are sprouting up throughout the Coast. One of the most established concepts is Raw Energy. Raw Energy Noosaville is a popular café and offers a number of drinks that appeal to younger customers. Raw Energy is situated on the picturesque Noosa River where you can enjoy the stunning view and river breeze. Not only can the kids enjoy a pure healthy fruit juice, there is a special area just for kids where they can watch dvd’s, draw on the chalkboard, play with toys and much more. The smoothie menu is also fabulous for kids offering a great range of fruity, dairy free blends. Up until the 31st August, your kids can enjoy a fresh juice for only $3.00.

The vibe is ‘Fresh, Fast and Funky’ so you can be sure that whatever you order from the menu will be exactly that.

Tips on juicing at home

• Only mix or buy 100% pure juices
• Mix apple or pear with green vegies
• Make juicing a family activity
• Keep the number of daily juices to one 125ml serving
• Have the kids find recipes and choose ingredients
• Buy in season and bulk to keep costs down