Flavorful Fruit

Fruit provides vitamins and fiber and is low in fat and salt. Fresh fruits are tasty fast foods. Choose fresh, frozen or canned fruit to get the best deal for your money. You should try to eat 2 cups and your child 1 to 1 ½ cups of fruit each day.

8 Ways To Enjoy Fruit

1. Peel an orange, pull it apart and dip slices in low fat vanilla yogurt.
2. Visit an apple farm, and pick some apples to bring home and enjoy.
3. Let your child cut soft fruits like berries, peaches and bananas with a butter knife to make fruit salad.
4. Cut bananas in slices, dip in orange juice, and roll in chopped nuts.
5. Let your child place bite-size pieces of soft fruit on a popsicle stick to make a fun snack.
6. Roll an orange, cut it in half, squeeze and drink the fresh juice.
7. Spread peanut butter on an apple slice.
8. Use this recipe to make homemade applesauce.

Homemade Applesauce

Yield: 4 cups     Serves: 8 adults

Ingredients
5 medium apples (one and a half pounds)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup water
brown sugar (optional)

Steps

1. Wash the apples.
2. *Peel, core and quarter the apples.
3. Cut the apples into small sections (children may do this using a butter knife).
4. In a medium pot, combine the apples, cinnamon and water.
5. Cover pot, and cook apples over medium heat until they come to a boil. Then simmer over low heat until the apples test tender when you stick them with a fork, about 20–30 minutes. Stir the apples a few times; adding more water if they cook dry.
6. Beat the tender cooked apples smooth with a spoon.
7. Serve applesauce warm or cold with a sprinkle of brown sugar if desired.
8. Enjoy!

Have your child help you do the bold steps.

*If you have a food mill, cook the apples without peeling them until tender and put them through the food mill.

Reprinted with permission from CACFP Parent Pages.