Fruits vs. Junk food
February 27, 2009 Healthy recipes
For the most people, especially children, the word snack implies thoughts of chocolate, rather then a portion of fresh, juicy fruit. In the early 20th century, the case was the opposite.
Children were so happy to get an apple or orange as their between-meal snack. Unfortunately, today kids prefer junk food, and not only kids! Many elder people may be seen buying and eating chocolate bars, candies, cookies… Why is this happening? Is it the availability of junk food, or the rhythm of our lives that leaves us no time for washing and peeling off the skins of bananas & oranges, or is it only the laziness of people? If you ask me, all of this!
We seem to be forgetting that fruits are very important components of our daily menu. They are low in calories and naturally sweet, and also a good sources of water. Dried fruits are good sources of fiber, but canned fruits are packed in syrup and therefore have a lot of added sugar, so be careful when shopping them. We should be eating 2-4 servings of fruit every day. Now, you ask yourselves, well, how much is “one serving”? For example:
• 1 whole medium fruit, OR
• ¼ cup dried fruit, OR
• ½ cup canned fruit.
Instead of eating a portion of fresh fruits, you can drink ½ to 3/4 cup fruit juice.
Chocolate bars are far from healthy snacks. They are full of sugar, additives, emulsifiers, starch… All of this means much more calories in a portion than in the same portion of fruits. Also, they can cause serious problems, such as diabetes, dental caries, fatness, acnes, etc.
So, it’s your choice- fresh fruits and natural sweetness, or additives from candy bars. Or, if you prefer: being called good-looking vs. being called chubby. Not to mention that fruit fibers are:
• good antioxidants,
• beneficial for our digestive system,
• 100% bad-cholesterol free,
• they stimulate the memory,
• make us feel better,
• should I continue, or I convinced you to go straight to your kitchen, wash and peel your portion of today’s fresh fruits, and enjoy in it?
It’s a whole weekend before you; treat yourselves with as much fruits as you can.
