There are so many fruits to choose from, but American kids favor one above all: Apples.
According to a study of over 3,100 children and teens, researchers found that kids eat consume their fruits whole about 53 percent of the time, through juice 34 percent of the time, and the rest of the time is through mixed-fruit products and beverages that aren’t 100 percent fruit.
Here’s how fruits placed:
- Apples 19 percent
- Citrus juice 14 percent
- Apple juice 10 percent
- Other fruit juices 9 percent
- Bananas and Melons
- Berries, citrus fruits, grapes, peaches
Study author, Kirsten Herrick, with the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, said that “substituting whole fruits for 100-percent fruit juices is always a good choice.” This is especially important because only about 40 percent of kids in the US are getting their daily intake of fruits.
The research found that among kids males and females, rich and poor, there were no differences in fruit consumption. However, black kids are more likely to drink fruit juice than kids of other races. Kids from Asian heritage eat the most whole fruits.
The big takeaway from this study is that kids need to eat more whole fruits. Check out Choose MyPlate for ideas to up your kid’s fruit intake.
