Helping Kids Eat Better

It's no surprise kids love fruit, but last week, when we spoke to a few hundred 7th graders and their parents from Acton, MA, we discovered that a staggering number don't come anywhere close to the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. The teens we talked to are no different from other kids across the country -- they're on the go, busy with homework and sports, and more likely to grab a bagel or a brownie than an apple.

To show them how easy it can be to incorporate fruit into their diets, we held a smoothie blend-off at our workshop. Two kid "chefs," each with an assistant, were given various ingredients to choose from including 100% orange, apple, mango, and strawberry/kiwi juices, frozen strawberries, blueberries, and mango, lowfat vanilla and strawberry yogurt and ripe bananas. They then all created their own signature smoothie which was judged by three of their peers. All the smoothies were delicious, proving you don't need to be a Food Network celebrity chef to whip up your own healthy recipes. Click here to watch a video of Janice and her daughter Leah making our Moms' Mango Smoothie. If you have a favorite smoothie recipe you'd like to share, please post it to our blog by clicking on the comments button below.