Afternoon: Eat Fruits

Great, you're back home from work. It's four o'clock in the afternoon. There's a chance that until this moment, you've eaten as you planned. When we're at work, we adhere to a fixed daily schedule, which leads to a fairly regular eating routine. But what happens when the clock strikes four in the afternoon? That's usually when the chaos begins. You pick up your kid from the afternoon program, and within a few minutes, you're at the playground. You've brought snack bags for your child so they won't be hungry and won't eat the other playground treats. In practice, an old socialist principle occurs: what's yours is mine and mine is yours. This way you help your child finish their duty, at least in terms of snacks. What to do?

Fruit Time: In the afternoon, eat fruits. P-E-R-I-O-D! You eat fruits and so do the kids. If there's no time, you can bring the fruits to the playground and wash them there. You can also bring a knife. No need to prepare anything in advance. This saves time, keeping the fruits fresh and preventing them from turning brown. Of course, you can prepare a box with a knife in advance. Wash the fruits and dry them with a paper towel, but don't cut them. You can prepare the box in the morning before leaving for work, or even the night before.

When spending the afternoon at home, fruits should be accessible. Place a bowl of washed fruits in a central location, such as the dining table. Don't tell the kids to open the fridge and wash a fruit for themselves, as statistically, it's unlikely to happen. Ask the kids which fruits they like. Find out if there are fruits they really love and others they like less. Put in the bowl all the fruits they mentioned, regardless of the fruit's rating. This way you expose them to a wide variety of fruits. In some families, if a child says they love bananas the most, they will get bananas constantly until they naturally tire of them. The result? A clear conclusion: "The child doesn't like fruits." Include in the bowl fruits you love, even if the child doesn't. This way, you expose them to a wide variety of fruits. Remember that each fruit has its good nutritional values. So the wider the range, the better the health. And of course, don't forget to eat fruits yourself, both for the personal example and for your health.

Healthy Snacks: In the afternoon, it's best not to eat too much to avoid spoiling your appetite for dinner. But if you still crave a treat or a real snack, you can have a small energy bar, a small halva snack, sesame seeds, or peanuts. Pay attention to the ingredient list on the snacks. Check that they're not just healthy-looking but genuinely contain healthy ingredients. Of course, this recommendation only applies to older children. Don't give nut snacks to small children due to choking hazards. You can also give a child a quality chocolate. If the bar is shared among the whole family, then why not.

Sweet Drinks: For some reason, in the afternoon, you crave something sweet. Those who return tired from work look for something to boost their energy. Those lucky enough to enjoy a nap (e.g., on Shabbat or a summer Friday) will also look for something sweet. The solution is to drink sweet tea, such as herbal tea or red tea (Rooibos - available at any supermarket). It turns out you only need the taste to quell the sweet craving.

Want to know more? Purchase the "Grow Healthy" series of lessons by the naturopath Sarah Bar Asher at the Jewish Campus of Hidabroot.

Sarah Bar Asher is a naturopath and lecturer on nutrition and the food industry. Barasher@zahav.net.il