Strawberries & Sugar

I've always eaten strawberries with sugar, and my sons do too sometimes. They like it both ways. I guess it depends on the batch. Sometimes, they are a bit tart when you eat them and need the sugar, yet if you get a really good, ripe batch, they do just fine on their own. Personally, I like them in chocolate, but my boys like them plain most of the time. I wouldn't think it would destoy the healthy part of the berry. It's like putting cinnamon in applesauce or butter on corn. Just something to add to the taste. If you're worried about too much sugar, maybe try slicing them up and sprinkling a little sugar on it so you can control how much sugar they get on it.

My kids dad taught them to do this -- I personally don't think fruit needs any sugar added! That being said, I will occasionally let them put Splenda on their strawberries, But they love them anyway so half the time they don't even ask. He also taught them to put sugar on their strawberries and cheese on their broccoli! I think fruit and veggies should be naked!

At my house we dip strawberries in low-fat sugar free "cool whip". It is awesome. The kids love it.

A.,

Why not try Stevia? I personally like the NOW Brand called Stevia Balance. It has chromium to balance blood sugar and inulin fiber, well, for fiber. I wouldn't try and have them dip the strawberries in as Stevia can be bitter because it's just so sweet. I would cut up the strawberries, take one packet of stevia and mix them up and put in fridge for at least a 1/2 hour. This will bring out the natural juices of the strawberries and add a sweet flavor to them without adding additional sugar. Hope this helps!!

Try "running out of sugar" and see if they will eat them. After you wash and cut them just leave them out on the table on a pretty plate, maybe with some grapes and other fruit they will eat - they just might grab some and eat them. Good to do when they are really hungry. Maybe very excited about eating them (dipping them of course) - let the hunger and excitement take over while they're sitting pretty on the table and they just might eat them - I hope so any way.

My kids also have cool whip or sometimes I mix up sourcream and brown sugar (makes a tasty dip) or marshmallow cream mixed with cream cheese and a little cinamon, mix up a frest fruit salad....bananas, oranges, maybe pecans, strawberries, grapes, whatever you want and beat whipping cream with a little sugar and dap of vanilla until thick..good stuff

Alot of the time the fruits and veggies we buy at the local grocery stores aren't all that tasty. Try taking the kids with you to a local farmers markets and have them try some of the fruit there (the vendors at Dallas farmers market are more than happy to have you try their fruit and veggies before buying). I'm positive they will find something they like! My kids absolutely love their fruits and veggies! -my oldest would be a vegetarian if we let her! I also mix squash in with my mashed potatoes and I've had many compliments on that dish. Try mixing the strawberries in with yogurt or let them dip in in wheat germ or crunched up gram crackers(makes it crunchy). Another way to get them to eat more veggies is to add more of them to dinner, I add corn in my spaghetti (sounds gross but it's yummy!). I make the italian sliced green beans (the flat ones) with diced potatoes and add a little lemon pepper seasoning ...yum! I recently discovered that my little ones are crazy about asparagus. Good luck! and remember if they don't see you trying new things, they probably won't either : )

I know you had tons of responses, but I couldn't help myself. If it's the dipping they like, the yogurt is a great idea, or Cool Whip for a special treat like for dessert. As far as the flavor, my 17mo. old won't eat them very well unsweetened either, because the berries can be naturally quite tart. However, I sprinkle the tiniest amount of Splenda and he gobbles them up. I would not worry so much about all the warnings of unrefined sugar, artificial sweeteners, etc. All the negative research associated with these things are when they are consumed in massive amounts. The small amount of sugar or sweetener they are consuming by dipping strawberries is pretty harmless. Unless you're children have a weight issue, then something like Splenda would help cut out some calories. Besides, so many people get worked up about "natural sugars", and in many of these cases, the body treats the sugar the exact same way no matter what the source (natural, refined, artificial, whatever)!! So I say don't worry about it, the important thing is your children are developing healthier habits by learning to love fruits and eat healthier snacks!

My daycare puts the strawberries (sliced) in yogurt. The kids love it! We do that at home for a snack with peaches, mandarin oranges and mixed fruit. I change the type of yogurt I use. Sometimes we use Harvest Peach, sometimes strawberry, etc. My little one is 21 months old and I use regular yogurt. For your 13 month old, try buying the Infant yogurt from Stony Fields or Farms, I can't remember. They have different varieties. It is a good healthy choice and it is different. He loves it every time we have yogurt, and it is good for their little digestive tract. Hope this helps!

Hi A.,

We dip fruit in vanilla yogurt with a little cinnamon mixed in. The kids love it. Making a fruit salad with yogurt works for us as well. Another option is to dip the fruit in peanut or almond butter. This works well with bananas & apples. We've tried to mix up the fruits as well...such as trying mango, melons, etc. when there are many choices, there is a better chance in finding what they like.

As for veggies... we use salad dressing. Not a lot, but enough to add a familiar flavor. I cut several different types of veggies into thin strips and put them on one plate, then they can choose which they'd like to try. My son loves cherry tomatos and my daughter loves orange & yellow bell peppers. So my veggie plate always has both of those available. You can try preparing them differently, like steaming. My son will eat broccoli and carrots cooked by not raw. Overall, when veggies are incorporated into a meal, they are required to try at least one bite & if they don't like it, they don't have to eat any more. There are a few things that they have come to like over time.

A friend of mine gives each vegetable a name that they can associate it as something different than just veggies. Ex:calling broccoli "trees".

Hope this helps.

Good luck!
L.

If you must add sugar, then let the berries form their own syrup (maceration), so you control the amount. I would stay clear of Splenda, as 3 of the 4 sugar molecules have been replaced with chlorine molecules. And definitely avoid NutraSweet. Check out www.sweetpoison.com if you want a scare. It's hard to wean yourself off a sugar addiction, so if you can avoid addicting your kids up front, it's better in the long run. Good luck!

Oh, and don't beat yourself up for the occasional "dip the berry in the sugar bucket" session...moderation is the key in all things, but sometimes you just need to cut loose!

Hi A., my 5 year old daughter will only eat strawberries if I add sugar to them. I either let her dip them (which isn't always good because she also dips her fingers and licks them) or I cut them into small pieces and add a little sugar and mix them up. This way you can sort of control how much sugar you put in. I think a little sugar wont' hurt and if it gets them to eat fruit then I'm all for it. I'd rather use real sugar than any fake sweeteners because at least you know they're getting the real thing. I'm against giving kids those sweeteners because nobody really knows what's going in them and how safe they all really are (though I do use them for me).

I have 2 boys who are almost young men now but when they were small we used to make up name for our veggies like broccoli and califlower were green and white trees and we were giants coming to clear the forrest. I would let them use ranch dressing on them as well (don't get carried away).
We planted our own garden and they got to water and take care of it. Then eat what we had worked hard to take care of.
Also my husband played a big part in this as well. He would eat the veggies too this caused my boys to eat them because dad did.
With the fruits and veggies eat them with something they like. When it comes snack time just offer fruits and/or veggies.
My boys both love to eat both fruits and veggies now. Infact we can't keep enough fruit around, we bring it home and I have to hide it if I am using it for something special cause they will eat it all up.
As far as the sugar and strawberries make sure you have them try it without sugar as well. Show them how to tell the natural sweet ones.
It is all just a try it and see if you like it. Fix things different ways too.
I hope some of these suggestions help.

Hi A.,
I agree with Katie...it is ALL about the dipping (and, of course, sugar tastes good!), so if you can get them to dip the strawberries in something else that is better for them, like cinnamon or yogurt, they may still like it.

My 2 year old was refusing vegetables left and right, and still refuses to eat most of them when they are cooked. But he likes raw veggies --- cauliflower, carrots, celery, red pepper strips --- especially when he's dipping them in hummus, which he LOVES. So, I usually sit him in his chair while I'm cooking dinner and he has his veggies and hummus before we all join him at the table to eat dinner.

Although he will still refuse the cooked veggies on many nights, at least I can feel good that he already ate some veggies before dinner.

I hope this helps!!
D.

Apples and Peanut Butter are a favorite of mine and my boys. There's always Ants on a Log (Celery, Peanut Butter, and Raisins). I would limit refined sugar intake. I was just reading the other day from an Organic Chemist, the affects of sugar. When you eat sugar, and artificial sweetners your body cannot compute your caloric intake correctly, and causes you to over eat without realizing it. Sugar and artificial sweetners also have an addiction affect. I would limit the amount of sugar you use for your kids strawberries. Of course anything like fruits and vegetables, that comes from the earth without pesticides is good for you in moderation. Good luck on that! By the way, you can get all of the food mentioned above Organic. You can get the Peanut butter without the added sugar, completely natural.

Hi, When I wsa growing up my mom would put strawberries in a large bowl and then put about 1/2 -1 cup of sugar on top and stir (the sugar melts the strawberries a little to make the juice) then we would use those for strawberry shortcake or she would freeze them for later use. I turned out fine :o)

HTH
A. J

I'm so surprised by some of these responses! There is nothing wrong with a little sugar!!

I would not get the kids in the habit of eating straight processed sugar with anything. I would also suggest using caution with artifical sugar -- the verdict is still out on the long term effects of such sugars and young children would be the most effective because of the nature of their development. In regards to berries -- I would try making smoothies. For my favorite smoothie, I blend one bannanna, three frozen strawberries, a handfull of frozen blueberries, and milk and yogurt to taste. It needs no added sugar-- I love it and as soon as my daughter turns one, I will share this treat with her. Hope this helps.

Hi A.,

A great alternative to plain white sugar is agave nectar. It can be found at most grocery stores with the other sweeteners and has a lower glycemic index then regular sugar. Central Market, Market Street, Whole Foods and Sprouts carry a number of flavor varieties as well that are all natural and less processed than regular sugar.

Many little ones just like to dip things, so maybe try some vanilla yogurt and stir it up so it's more like a dip. My niece loves that!

Giving them sugar with berries doesn't lessen the nutritional value of the berry. It adds extra calories and has been associated with hyperactivity, but if they don't have behavioral or weight problems some sugar here and there isn't going to hurt them.

A.

hi A.
i have to admit that i eat sugar with my strawberries; however when i eat them in front of my son, i don't. I allow him to dip them in vanilla yogurt or i cut them up and put them in the yogurt myself! :) the fruit already has sugar in it(natural sugars) so dipping in sugar only adds more sugar and in my opinion and experiece make them want to dip all things in sugar or want all things to taste just as sweet!
hope this helped!
S.

I crunched up vanilla wafers over grapes, strawberries and apples. I made sure my daughter saw that I was crunching up the wafer so she would believe me that it really had vanilla wafers on it. When I gave her the fruit she had no issues since it was mixed with a treat. After a few days I didn't need the wafers anymore and she's been eating fruit since then without complaint.

A little bit of sugar isn't going to hurt and doesn't take away the nutritional value of the berries. My son loves whipped cream to dip them into.

I haven't read all of the responses, so forgive me if this repeats something. I love strawberries and sugar, but it doesn't fit well into my diet, so I started using the Splenda Sugar Blend. Cuts out alot of the calories and tastes the same.

I have let my kids eat strawberries that way too because I grew up doing it. Something I started doing is sprinkling Splenda on them. It makes them sweet and they love it that way too. You should try the Sneaky Chef cookbooks to incorporate more fruits and veggies in their diet. I have tried many recipes ranging from meals to sweet treats and the kids don't know any different. I have tasted everything I have cooked to make sure it didn't taste bad. I have also tried them out on adults to see if they could tell...they couldn't. It's a great way to get them to eat healthy.

I love to mix honey on top of my berries. Local honey is awesome if your kids have seasonal allergies.

Try this dip for fruits or veggies!
1 4-6 oz container of vanilla yogurt (I use "no added sugar" or Weight Watchers, Fat Free, Sugar Free, whatever is your choice)
1-2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter (I use Reduced Fat Jif)
Mix well and enjoy!!! My daughter loves this with any fruit cut up for dipping (apples, strawberries, pears, etc) and she even dips her carrot sticks and cucumbers in it.
Hope you enjoy this!

I take a package of cream cheese (softened)and a jar of marshmellow cream and mix them together really well. Chill it and use as a fruit dip for any fruits.

I dip in Turbinado Sugar....I even put it in my coffee in the morning. Much better for you. You can get it at any store .... Bulk Whole Food, Sprouts....or even packaged at Target and Walmart

My mom used to section oranges and grapefruit together and let sit overnight with flaked coconut to sweeten it. We loved it.

D. Kimbriel
Grandma to 2 beautiful boys

A little sugar is fine, but not a cup of sugar. What I do is cut the strawberries and dust them with powdered sugar, this way they are only eating a bit of sugar. They love it.

Eating straight sugar is definitely not healthy. If you take the berries, slice them up, and add them to yogurt, perhaps they will enjoy that. You could also slice them and add a very small amount of sugar--about 1/4 teaspoon, stir it up and let it mascerate a bit. The berries will be sweeter and less sugar will be consumed.

When we cannot taste the natural sugars in foods like strawberries, carrots, etc, it means we're eating too much processed and refined sugary foods. Drinking juices that are not 100 per cent juice and sugary drinks, foods, etc numb our taste buds to the genuine flavor of healthy natural foods. Perhaps elimating things like that from your kids' diet, if they are eating them, will help. good luck!

try cutting them up and adding a small amount of sugar to them in a bowl and stir them up. THat way you are controlling the amount of sugar they eat on them. good luck.

Have you tried a sugar substitute like splenda? Tastes a lot like sugar. Also, what about dipping them into vanilla yogurt?

Try dipping them in vanilla yogurt instead.
MMMMMMMMMM yummy.
lonie

I would try dipping in yogurt before straight sugar. In fact if they had to dip them in sugar I would probably skip giving the berries completely and try a different fruit like oranges or grapes or something.

I am lucky I guess my daughter eats all fruits. She is two and has only had a couple of cookies in her life so she does think berries, watermelon etc. are treats. Now if I could just get her to eat veggies.

Use Stevia instead. It's an herb that's a little sweeter than sugar so you'd use less but it has nutrititional value. Health food stores have it and some supermarkets carry it.

I've had a container (about 2x3)garden just for strawberries. We grow the strawberries and my grandaughter picks them about every other day. It's just enough for her about 7 or 8 each time. They require very little care and come back thicker each year. She picks them and I can barely get them in the house and wash them before she gobbles them up. We also grow grape tomatoes and she eats them also. Try planting a small garden in containers if you don't hve much space. Somehow for kids it taste much better if they grow it. I never put sugar or salt on her fresh fruits and veggies. She loves the idea of eating what she has grown.

We do this too and it works...just put a little sugar out there so it's not overloaded with sugar. Another one that works...strawberries, yogurt and granola - they actually wanted it for dessert one time! We would at least have our kids "try" everything and they actually love it now - teens eating seafood, salad, guac, pineapple, mango, etc. Basically, that all we are offering...if you don't eat it, you're hungry. Good luck. There are a lot of things on line too so check that out...frit and veggie kbobs...other fun fruit faces, etc. for little ones.

My son doesn't like several fruits, so we make smoothies at home. I use vanilla yogurt, frozen and fresh fruit, and a little ice. Sometimes I add apple juice, too. My kids LOVE their smoothies, and I know it's good for them.

I've never given my 3 yr old pure sugar (and never will) and he RARELY gets sweets. I think he's had three bites of a cupcake one time (he doesn't like them) and then one of my "cupcakes" (no sugar, just applesauce) on his bdays and that's it. I think the trick is to NOT give it to them period (or VERY infrequently) so that all they know is fruits/veggies/pure foods. My son prefers them to anything else right now. I know once he's in school and has more access to the awful food choices out there it will be more of an issue but hopefully forming his taste buds to enjoy PURE veggies/fruits now will help keep him liking them. If they have no other options, they will eat what you give them eventually - it just will take time and patience on your part in waiting for them to accept the change. It also requires YOU to eat what they eat and be a good role model for what they should eat. I agree that dipping in yogurt is a WAY better alternative, but I would have the final goal be just eating them plain. In a nation with a 67% obesity rate, it breaks my heart to know what parents feed their children on a regular basis.

I do the same thing with my older daughter. She does not love fruit the way my younger one does... so I give her JUST A LITTLE BIT of sugar, or even Splenda, to dip the strawberries in. I don't give her enough to be able scoop/dip very much on each berry. I give her a toothpick to p/u the berries, which she thinks is fun. (You can't "scoop" the berry as well with a toothpick, though, so it helps to just get a little bit of sweet on it.) I figure AT LEAST she's eating the fruit, right? It's better than not eating it...and I think she will grow to like the berries w/o the sweetener. In fact, she DOES like freshly picked strawberries w/o sweetener. She loves when we get to go pick our own strawberries right off the vine. Have you ever done that? There is a farm in Arlington where you can do that a few times a year. I think it is called Gnossimer Farm. (?) It's on Bowen Road. It makes for a fun outing, too.... :)

WOW! I cannot believe all these kids who don't like fruit! My kids love fruit, and I have to keep them from sneaking extra into the grocery cart. Earlier tonight, one of my daughters had a fit because her sister and I split the last mango. I always leave fruit out in a bowl on the table. Usually we will have assorted apples, oranges, clementines, and grapes. I rarely do bananas (in the bowl) because they go bad so quickly. A favorite treat is frozen grapes or sliced bananas. Eating frozen fruit has a decadent feel, but it's all healthy.

Another thing we have as a summertime snack is "beansicles." I put fresh string beans in the freezer. They are crisp, and cold, and juicy- very yummy.

It may be where you are buying your produce. Buy from the farmer's market where the food is grown locally. (By the way, Parker County peaches taste like candy) It will be fresher since it is not shipped so far. Most of the produce in the grocery market was picked while still green so the sun didn't have time to sweeten it.

Plant a garden. The kids will enjoy watching it grow, and they will take pride in consuming their own food.

Last bit of advice is smoothies. Use fresh and frozen fruit (any type of berries, bananas, pineapple, etc), fruit and/or carrot juice or lowfat milk, and yogurt or kefir as a base. Do not add sugar. If you want to sweeten it up a bit use honey or agave nectar. Let the kids experiment and be creative. Some of their concoctions may make you cringe, but just let them have fun and enjoy the "fruits of their labor."

Easy solution to that one! Give them Splenda instead of sugar!

AGAVE NECTAR! It is awesome and is now my go to sweetener for all berries! I started buying it at a health food store, but recently saw it on my local grocery store's shelf. It is like a light honey, all natural and very yummy!

WE got our children to eat fruit by serving it with a complementary yogurt, or dip as they called it. I slice the fruit and serve it with a small dipping bowl of yogurt. The only way I ever got them to even taste bananas was to dip them in strawberry yogurt. They are teenagers now and still like the "dip" with their fruit and it is good for them!

I don't do plain sugar anymore. We either do a drizzle of honey (which is good for their allergies) or we use Splenda. My kids love it and the change has not been an issue.

If it's all about the dipping-what about trying the strawberries with yougart. Different flavors and maybe just put some sprinkles on top of the yougart or something.

As far as veggies...you might try them of course with cheese. I think it's green giant or one of those that makes the frozen side dishes of like cauliflower and cheese and broc and cheese. My youngest loves those. Then if they like certain kinds, like mashed potatos, I heard of people cooking cauliflower and pureeing them to look like mash taters and they are supposed to have the same consistency and even taste similar. Also, my pediatrician keeps telling me that it takes something like 13 time of being 'exposed' to the new foods for kids to come around to them. My oldest who doesn't hardly eat any veggies has started to come around to taking bites of carrots here and there.

Hope this helps.
K.

I grew up eating strawberries that way, it is great. A little bit of sugar is fine, now if they were eating a ton of stawberries at one time completely covered in sugar that might be different. You can also cut up the stawberries into small pieces and add some sugar and let them sit in the fridge, they will release their own juice and you will end up with soupy strawberries that you can just eat that way, or put over angelfood cake(no fat in that) or over icecream. They are wonderful that way too. You can also use fructose instead of sugar (we get ours at sprouts), or Splenda, but they aren't as good with splenda and they don't produce as much juice.

kids have a thing for "dipping". I don't know if it is because it is a little (or a lot) messy or if they think they are helping "make" their treat. You might also try cool whip. As far as getting kids to eat veggies, try them raw with ranch dressing. My 10 year old will not eat cooked carrots or broccoli but loves them raw. So you might need to try them cooked in many other ways or uncooked with different dips - ranch, cheese, etc. Don't forget you can eat greenbeans, snow peas, bell peppers, okra & potatoes raw too.

I send strawberies and/or blueberries in my son's lunch almost everyday. I have always put something on them. I sprinkle a little sugar or powedered sugar o them in the morning. It doesn't take much. I like to sprinkle it on them myself, that way I control how much sugar is on them. If you let them dip them in sugar, it could get out of hand. He REALLY likes it when I squirt a little Ready Whip on his berries.

I think anything that helps kids eat fruits and vegetables and try new things is worth the try.

i've been the sugar/strawberry thing my whole life. though that's strictly for the more sour type strawberries. drizzle a little honey... or make a honey dipping cup. good luck.

When I was a kid one of my favorite treats was to dip strawberries in sour cream and then in turbinado sugar. Turbinado sugar is sugar that is only one third processed, therefore the vitamins and minerals found in sugar cane are still present-it's healthier that white sugar and is still sweet and delicious. I was thinking of letting my son do it too. In order to make it healthier I will substitute yogurt for the sour cream. As long as you don't use white sugar or any artificial sweeteners you're doing great. Now, the only sweetener we give our son is agave-for his oatmeal. It tastes like sugar and is much better for you-the consistency is like honey so it's good for oatmeal. I can't stress enough how toxic the artifical sweeteners are-some are being linked to MS, don't use them and never let your child eat any.

HI A.. My friend who works in a school cafeteria (so she knows all about nutritional state guidelines, etc) told me that if you use 100% juice in place of water when making Jell-O, it will count as a fruit serving. Plus it tastes WAY better. Hope that helps your little ones get an extra fruit serving! Mine love it!!

Of course they love it, who wouldn't? BUT, you really need to ditch the sugar. Sugar decreases your ability to appreciate the natural sweetness of any fruits and vegetables.

To get them to eat more fruits/veggies---don't have the junk food around. They will eventually eat them willingly and even learn to prefer them. My kids have.

You might consider letting them sprinkle *a little* bit of colored sugar like what you use on cookies and cupcakes. The color looks pretty, it's still a bit sweet, and it's a bit special. We let our girls sprinkle colored sugar (again, this is just a bit-like less than 1/8 tsp) on their oatmeal, too.

How about strawberries and honey? Honey is much better for you than sugar, and still sweet. My DD just had this for breakfast. It also helps that Pooh loves honey, too--so she can be just like Pooh! GL!