Do your children know the truth about fruit?

Do your children know where fruit comes from?

Do your children know where fruits come from? Do they know how to grow them? Do they know what is used to grow them? Are your children aware of the different kinds of foods that grow where you live? How can you pass this knowledge to your children?

 Growing up in Zimbabwe we always had fruit trees in the yard, so we always ate fresh fruit, and got all the nutrients we needed. My parents planted some of these fruit trees  and over the years they grew up with us.  Because of this we appreciated the fruit that the trees produced. We were fortunate enough to enjoy bananas, mangoes, oranges, avocadoes and papayas.

 Now when I moved to England , I realised that the food budget had to include fruits and this was a shock to me. I had only been used to buying fruit once in a while, and not out of necessity but only when I needed a special ingredient to a specific recipe. The only expenses that we had to consider for our fruit trees, was only the occasional watering in the dry season or pesticides when necessary.   When I went to my grandparents’ farm every holiday,   we were surrounded by  wild fruits that grew throughout the year, such as     prickley pears and guavas, all of which I have never come accross in the shops in the England.

Fresh fruit straight from the tree was a rarity. The only fruit freely available were blackberries that you only get in bushy places in the summer. I never once thought in the beginning that shop-bought fruit was not as nutritious as freshly picked fruit, until I watched a BBC documentary about the food we eat. I was particularly intrigued by the fact that fruits, are picked and stored as long as 3 months before they get to the shelf in the shop.  I also learned that the fruits are sometimes sprayed with preservatives and lose their flavour. This got me wondering if my family should continue to just rely on the shop bought fruit alone.

Are your five a day truly nutritious?

 When watching different nutrition programs on TV they would recommend 5 portions of fruit and veg per day. What they tend not to mention is that some of the fruit from the shop isn’t as nutritious, as well as unsuitable to be consumed in large amounts(being loaded with calories and sugar) within the UK. An important factor to remember when growing fruit, is how fruit trees are grown; Are they grown organically? Is it grown with additional fertilisers in the soil? is it grown from genetically modified seeds? Organic fruit is usually the most expensive choice in stores, so easiest choice to avoid for most households trying to save money. 

 Upon researching, I found that there are fruit trees that you can grow yourself, like apples, pears and some berries. However it should be remembered, that the fruit that grows in colder climates organically is not as sweet as that which grows in warm climates.  For example, fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, apples and pears are not as sweet, and these have ample sugar content for the UK population. However, with global imports and foods coming from all over the world, you will also have access to sweet fruits like mangoes, pineapples and grapes.

So as our children grow, we should feed them fruits that will not jeopardise their health. Upon reflection, I have seen a lot of people who have emigrated from tropical countries become either diabetic or prediabetic. Consumption of these fruits can be a contributory factor. Your choice of fruit is very important , as we do not exercise well enough to use up the calories.

I implore you parents to grow something in your garden. If you own the land no one’s stopping you from going to put a tree in your back garden. I also would implore you to ensure that your children are eating the correct fruit for the climate, and that they take part in activities that encourage them to understand the fruit that they are eating.

 Try to introduce little ones to fruit and veg that may not be as sweet but that will be better for them, compared to sweet oranges and pineapples from the tropics. I know children do run around and use the energy but as they grow, they will probably lead more sedentary lives, so will need to eat less sweet fruit. When my little one was able to start eating solids, I introduced her to blueberries and strawberries. To this day still enjoys the fruits very much.