Child nutrition: three fundamental facts to remember when resorting to canned, dried and frozen fruit and veg...

Although a fear of food waste frequently puts many parents off of purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables (particularly if their tots are picky!), this prevalent problem can often be prevented by opting for canned, frozen and dried varieties. 

In order to ensure that your tot tucks into healthier sources, here are three fundamental facts to remember when resorting to these cost effective choices...

1.Canned vegetables can contain copious amounts of salt - always opt for no added salt varieties e.g.in plain water, in order to reduce the risk of infants exceeding their recommended intake.

2.Canned fruit can contain a substantial amount of sugar (the 'free' type that tots need to eat less of) in the form of syrup - a reason why favouring fruit in its natural juice is recommended. 

3.Dried fruits such as dates, apricots and raisins contain a concentrated source of sugar that can damage teeth - always offer this particular variety at mealtimes (as opposed to as a snack between meals) to reduce the risk of dental decay.

Final thought: fruit does not need to be fresh in order to benefit growing bodies - frozen, canned, dried and 100% fruit/vegetable juices and smoothies all count towards the recommended five a day - just be sure to limit juices and smoothies to one 150ml glass a day, ideally at mealtimes to reduce the risk of decay, and remember that these particular sources will only ever count as one portion regardless of how much is consumed i.e.consuming more than 150ml will still only count as one portion. 

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