Gardening Programs Increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Youngsters by Luke Curtis, MD.

 Vegetables and fruits contain a wide range of nutrients including vitamins (especially vitamins A and C), minerals (especially potassium), fiber and plant based “phytochemicals” which have many positive health effects.  Vegetables and fruits are also relatively low in calories and play an important role in preventing obesity. It is estimated that if all Americans consumed the recommended levels of fruits and vegetables, rates of high blood pressure would drop by about 50%, heart disease would drop by about 30%, macular degeneration related blindness would drop by about 30%, stroke would decline about 10% and overall cancer rates would drop by 10-20%.

In spite of many health effects of eating produce, only about 25% of US adults and about 10% of US children and adolescents currently eat the recommended quantities of fruits and vegetables.  US Department of Agriculture recommends that adults and children over age 4 consume 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, while children aged 2 to 4 years should eat 4 servings daily.  A serving is half a cup of raw or cooked fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables can be enjoyed in many forms, including eaten raw by the hand, eaten in salads and soups, eaten lightly cooked as a side dish, blended into smoothies and added to cereals, casseroles, desserts and bread.  People with Candida problems should probably consume larger amounts of vegetables than fruits, as many fruits contain a significant amount of natural sugars which can stimulate Candida growth.

One way to get children interested in eating more fruits and vegetables is by exposing them to gardening at home, school, church or camp programs. Children often enjoy serving and eating foods they grew themselves.  A study of the effects of a gardening program on 99 Idaho sixth grade students was published in the April 2007 Journal of the American Dietetic Association.  Students who received gardening work and nutritional lectures increased their average fruit and vegetable intake from 2.0 to 4.5 servings per day, while students who did not receive the gardening and nutritional training consumed an average of about 2.0 servings of fruits and vegetable per day.