Strawberries: Fruit/ Vegetable of the Month

Strawberries a very popular fruit with children. Incorporating more strawberries into their diet should be easy this time of year. Children will enjoy them sliced alone, sliced with other fruit in a salad, in a strawberry spinach salad, atop oatmeal, pureed and frozen as a pop, frapeed in a smoothie, and layered in yogurt parfait with granola. How do you like your strawberried prepared?

Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C (one serving contains more than 20% of your daily need) and a very good source of fiber. Strawberries are also rich in potassium, folate, antioxidants and phytochemicals- all which promote health.

If you have a small area in your yard that receives 6 hours of full sunlight every day, consider planting some strawberries. Strawberries are an ideal plant to grow in limited space areas. Since they are perennials, they flower and produce fruit every year. You can grow them in rows if you have the space, in a flower bed, or even in a pot on a balcony. Children will enjoy watching the little white and yellow flower grow into a red, ripe strawberry. Strawberries do require a great deal of water, but if you are a parent or child care provider, we bet you will have plenty of volunteers to help water the plants!

If you are a child care provider in California you can receive cash reimbursements for providing healthy food to the children in your care. If you are a child care provider in El Dorado, Alpine, Placer, Nevada or Mono county our agency can help you enroll in the California Child Care Food Program (CCFP).

Recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables varies with age.

Children ages 2-3 need   1- 1.5 cups of fruits and 1- 1.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Children ages 4-8 need   1-2     cups of fruits and 1.5-2.5 cups of vegetables each day. 

Children ages 9-13 need 1.5-2  cups of fruits and 1.5-3.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Teens ages14-18 need   1.5 -2.5 cups of fruits and 2.5-4 cups of vegetables each day.

Keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are rich in essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimum growth and development. Check out  CDC's fruit and vegetable calculator for an more accurate recommendation based upon age, sex, and activity levels.

Remember your plate.......

Half of your plate should have fruits and vegetables