Talking About Healthy Foods With The Kids - Fun Food Facts

Fun Healthy Foods Facts

• 1 cup of strawberries contains only 50 calories while providing 100 mg of vitamin C and 2 grams of fiber.
• California produces over 80% of the strawberries grown in the United States.
• Parsnips, a fall vegetable, are related to carrots. Baking them brings out their sweet, nutty flavor. They can be enjoyed raw too; try grating them onto a salad or on top of a soup.
• Native Americans used berries as a fabric dye. Berries and their leaves and roots were also used for medicinal purposes.
• A small orange is about 80 calories and contains vitamin C and carotenoids.
• Carotenoids are plant pigments responsible for the yellow, orange, and red color in fruits and vegetables. Carotenoids serve as antioxidants.
• When people think of vitamin C, they think of colds. Vitamin C does play a role in the immune system but it has many other roles including helping to form collagen and maintaining healthy teeth, gums, and blood vessels.
• Chinese royalty enjoyed melon seeds as early as 200 BC. The seeds were believed to be essential for good intestinal health.
• Marco Polo brought melon seeds to Europe after enjoying strips of sweet dried melon in Afghanistan. Dried and roasted seeds are still consumed as snacks in South America and the Middle East.
• Melons are in the same gourd family as squashes and cucumbers.
• There are two groups of melons available: watermelons and muskmelons. The most familiar muskmelons include cantaloupe and honeydew.