Mushrooms: Fruit / Vegetable of the Month

September is National Mushroom Month but you will find mushrooms in season all year long, as they are commercially grown in specially designed buildings which are able to regulate the light, temperature, humidity, and ventilation.

Mushrooms are edible macrofungi. They grow from spores, emerging from the 'dirt' after about 12 days. If commercial mushrooms are exposed to ultraviolet light, especially just prior to harvest, the will contain large amounts of vitamin D. Most mushrooms rich in vitamin D will be labeled accordingly. Mushrooms are also a good source of many B vitamins and antioxidants.

There are 250 types of edible mushrooms versus 52 toxic, 32 of which are deadly. It is very difficult to tell poisonous mushrooms from those which are edible as they often look remarkably similar. It is always advisable to discuss mushroom safety with children and discourage gathering wild mushrooms.

While white buttons mushrooms are the most consumed mushroom in the United States, commercially harvested wild edibles are growing in popularity. Pictured above are brown crimini mushrooms a.k.a. baby portabello. Also growing in popularity are shiitake, oyster, chanterelle, porcini, enoki and full size portabello. Children who haven't been exposed to mushrooms may enjoy the mild taste of the white button or the slightly richer brown cremino to start.

When shopping for mushrooms, choose those that are firm, smooth- not slimy, free of dark spots. Store in their original packaging or in a loose paper sack for up to a week. Wash before use by rinsing with a small amount of water or wiping with a wet paper towel. Don't soak mushrooms in water as they will swell. If you want to store mushrooms past a week, they will freeze but only if they have been sauteed first as fresh mushrooms don't freeze well.

Mushrooms add a richness and umami to foods. Umami is now considered the fifth taste, after sweet, salty, bitter and sour. Umami is described as a savory, broth-like, rich or meaty taste sensation. Add mushrooms to nearly any type of savory dish to add nutrients and umami. The texture of mushrooms may be something children may need to become acquainted with if they haven't had any exposure to them in the past. Add them a little at a time to meals children already enjoy, such as pizza, soup, chicken, steak, hamburgers, salad, pastas, eggs/omelets, grilled sandwiches...

If you are child care provider in California you can receive cash reimbursements for providing healthy food to the children in your care. If you are a child care provider in El Dorado, Alpine, Placer, Nevada or Mono county our agency can help you enroll in the California Child Care Food Program.

Recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables varies with age.

Children ages 2-3 need   1- 1.5 cups of fruits and 1- 1.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Children ages 4-8 need   1-2     cups of fruits and 1.5-2.5 cups of vegetables each day. 

Children ages 9-13 need 1.5-2  cups of fruits and 1.5-3.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Teens ages   14-18 need   1.5 -2.5 cups of fruits and 2.5-4 cups of vegetables each day.

Keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are rich in essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimum growth and development. Check out  CDC's fruit and vegetable calculator for an more accurate recommendation based upon age, sex, and activity levels.

Remember your plate.......

Pluots & Apriums: Fruit / Vegetable of the Month

Pluots are a hybrid of a plum and apricot, with more characteristics of a plum. Generally speaking they are roughly 2/3 to 3/4 plum and 1/3-1/4 apricot. They have the smooth skin of a plum but are sweeter than plums. Pluots aren't genetically modified. The pluot is the result of cross-breeding plums and apricots through hand pollination by Floyd Zainger. The name "pluot" is actually a trademarked term by Zaiger Genetics so you may find plum-apricot hybrids in the store with a different name. There are about 25 varieties of pluots on the market today so the flavors and colors between pluots can vary greatly. Our featured picture is of a "Dinosaur Egg" or Dapple Dandy.

Pluots like most fruits and vegetables are low in calories. One medium pluot contains only 40 calories. Pluots are also a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C in addition to all of the phytonutrients fruits and vegetable contain. 

Select firm, ripe pluots with no cuts or bruises. Ripe pluots are tender so store them without stacking. To hasten ripening, place in a brown sack loosely closed.

Prepare and serve pluots as you would plums or apricots. They taste great in vegetable or fruit salads, in cereal, yogurt and are great all by themselves. Kids naturally love pluots because of their natural sweetness.

Apriums are also a plum-apricot hybrid trademarked by Zaiger Genetics. Apriums are roughly 75% apricot and 25% plum and therefore look more like an apricot than a plum. The variety we enjoyed had reddish skin which smoother than an apricot. The texture and taste of the aprium was juicier and sweeter than an apricot. When comparing the pluots featured above and the apriums on the right, we thought the apriums were much sweeter.

Apriums are also low in calories, 1 cup has only 75 calories. Apriums are an excellent source of vitamins A and C as well as being a good source of fiber.

Apriums have a longer shelf life than apricots and bruise less easily. Prepare and serve apriums as you would plums or apricots. 

If you are child care provider in California you can receive cash reimbursements for providing healthy food to the children in your care. If you are a child care provider in El Dorado, Alpine, Placer, Nevada or Mono county our agency can help you enroll in the California Child Care Food Program.

Recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables varies with age.

Children ages 2-3 need   1- 1.5 cups of fruits and 1- 1.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Children ages 4-8 need   1-2     cups of fruits and 1.5-2.5 cups of vegetables each day. 

Children ages 9-13 need 1.5-2  cups of fruits and 1.5-3.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Teens ages   14-18 need   1.5 -2.5 cups of fruits and 2.5-4 cups of vegetables each day.

Keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are rich in essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimum growth and development. Check out  CDC's fruit and vegetable calculator for an more accurate recommendation based upon age, sex, and activity levels.

Remember your plate.......

Cucumber: Fruit / Vegetable of the Month

Of course you've heard the saying "As cool as a cucumber". Who couldn't use a little cool during these hot summer days?

Cucumbers are great summer food because they are 96% water helping you and the kids stay hydrated. Cucumbers are also a good source of vitamin K, needed for blood clotting, bone health and protecting against heart disease. Cucumbers have a mild taste and can be paired with many different foods because of this. Some people describe cucumbers as tasting bitter; peeling a cucumber will remove this taste. 

Cucumbers are members of the gourd family and are technically a fruit but are prepared and eaten culturally as a vegetable. Choose firm, dark green cucumbers that are heavy for their size. Keep wrapped in a plastic bag or sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you slice them, be sure to wrap them well so they don't lose much of the water that makes them so crisp. 

Slice cucumbers into ice water to infuse flavor.

Our local deli makes a sandwich referred to as "The #2" made with bread (your choice), cream cheese spread on each slice. They add peeled, sliced cucumbers to one slice and sliced, green onions to the other slice. Then they load shaved ham in the middle, bringing both sides together and cutting in half. Children will enjoy the creamy taste of this sandwich. If they shy away from green onions, just omit or perhaps offer a bit of fresh dill in it's place. 

We also made these delicious and nutritious finger foods using cucumber slices.

Spread cucumber slices with any soft cheese (we used ricotta) and top with a dried fruit (we used dried cranberries). 

If you are child care provider in California you can receive cash reimbursements for providing healthy food to the children in your care. If you are a child care provider in El Dorado, Alpine, Placer, Nevada or Mono county our agency can help you enroll in the California Child Care Food Program.

Recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables varies with age.

Children ages 2-3 need   1- 1.5 cups of fruits and 1- 1.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Children ages 4-8 need   1-2     cups of fruits and 1.5-2.5 cups of vegetables each day. 

Children ages 9-13 need 1.5-2  cups of fruits and 1.5-3.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Teens ages   14-18 need   1.5 -2.5 cups of fruits and 2.5-4 cups of vegetables each day.

Keep in mind that fruits and vegetables are rich in essential vitamins and minerals needed for optimum growth and development. Check out  CDC's fruit and vegetable calculator for an more accurate recommendation based upon age, sex, and activity levels.

Remember your plate.......