Apples by far are the favorite fruit of American youth, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey. Kids eat an average of 1.25 cuts of total fruit per day with apples accounting for 20 percent of the average child’s total fruit intake. Oranges and bananas were the survey’s distant runner-ups in terms of whole fruit, while juices—including apple juice—accounted for 10 percent of daily fruit consumption.
So, that’s good, right? Well, according to nutritionists, most children should be eating more than an apple a day if they really hope to keep the physician at arm’s length. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says children should eat between 1 and 2 cups of fruit a day and another 1 to 3 cups of veggies.
“Only 40 percent of youth meet the target for consumption on any given day,” says the study’s lead author, Kirsten A. Herrick. (Reuters)