I have to admit, that until recently Kiwi is a fruit that has never really interested me and definitely wouldn’t have been part of my normal shopping list.

Over the past three years,  I probably bought Kiwi fruit on a total of two occasions, and it would have continued like that, had my Partner Matthew not fed a Kiwi one day to our son Indigo.

Indigo is 15 month’s old and we are currently in the process of adding more and more fruits and vegetables into his diet.  One day whilst out with Indigo, Matthew decided to run into our local supermarket to get some grapes (which is another great snack for toddlers) and the lady at the checkout offered him a free Kiwi.  Matthew gratefully accepted and fed the Kiwi to Indigo. Indigo loved it so much that Matthew went back into the shop to get more.

Sometimes we play a game with Indigo, where we carry him around the house and he points to where he would like to go.  Often, this will be the Kitchen, and then he will point to the bowl of Kiwi’s on the surface and say “num num num” to indicate that he is hungry.  Kiwi is one of Indigo’s favourite foods, I’m glad we introduced them to him and definitely recommend them for children as they are loaded with nutrition and Antioxidants.

Kiwi’s are a Nutritional Powerhouse for Children

According to Zespri (Kiwi suppliers), Kiwifruit consistently rank at the top of fruit in nutrition density models which tell us exactly how nutritious food is. That means you get more vitamins and minerals per gram, and per calorie, of kiwifruit than most
other fruit.

Kiwi’s are especially rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Folate and Potassium.

• Vitamin C – There is twice as much vitamin C in kiwifruit as there are in oranges. You only need one kiwifruit each day to get your recommended daily intake of vitamin C.
• Vitamin E – Kiwifruit is a great low fat natural source of vitamin E, which is well known for its heart health and antioxidant properties, which protect our skin from degeneration and help reduce wrinkles.
• Folate – Kiwi is a natural source of Folate, which assists brain and cognitive development in children and helps to combat cardiovascular disease.  When taken by pregnant women, it can also help prevent neural defects  in their unborn babies.
• Potassium – Kiwi has about the same amount of Potassium as a banana.

Some other benefits of kiwi are:

1. Kiwi fruit also contains a highly concentrated form of Lutein which is highly bio-accessible, therefore helping to prevent age related deterioration of eye sight.

2. They are also high in anti-oxidents, which help fight the damage caused by free-radicals and oxidative stress.

3. Although an acid fruit, Kiwi’s are alkaline forming in the body because of their high mineral content and low-glycemic index.  Kiwi’s make a perfect nutritious snack to give to your child.

4. Helps prevent asthma due to it’s high Vitamin C content.

5. Strengthens bones (Vitamin K)

6. Prevents constipation (Fiber)

7. Prevents hypokalemia (Potassium)

8. Helps the body make melanin (Copper)

9. Helps prevent anaemia (Folate)

10. Regulates blood sugar levels (Manganese)