Food for thought

April 26, 2011 | Print

Fruit as Dessert

As our kids get older, we appreciate more and more the eating patterns we set up when they were young. Serving fruit after dinner as dessert was perhaps our best idea. The kids are excited about their dessert and we avoid the sugar.

We prepare a fun fruit–berries, mangoes, kiwi–or a regular fruit in a new way–oranges cut and arranged, sliced bananas floating in milk with agave dripped on top. Thawed organic frozen fruit is also a big hit, like eating peaches before summer. We put the fruit in small dishes or bowls, or special dessert dishes if we have them, and leave them on the kitchen counter. After the kids finish dinner and clear their plates, they find their dessert and bring it to the table. Part of the excitement is not knowing what will be served and that the fruit is separated from their meal as dessert.

For toddlers and preschoolers, we might add a wheat-free flower cookie (Healthy Times Maple Arrowroot Cookies) or biscuit (Maple Teething Biscuits) some nights.

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