Fresh Fruit And Children's Health: What are the dangers?Eating fresh fruit was seasonal when I was growing up. But, today you can feed your kids fresh fruit year round. And this benefit is not without some risks... Children's bodies are smaller and they do need the nutrients obtained from fruit. What they don't need is the wax-like coating used to make the fruit shine (example: apples). And they also don't need the pesticide residues that are left behind. Pesticides pose a real danger. More so for children. This is because their body size is smaller. A smaller body size means a lower amount of toxin would be needed to poison a child than an adult. These pesticide toxins are chemicals and were never intended to be consumed. Pesticides do effect every body system. Yet, often the source of the poison is not known. After all, if your child complains of a tummy that "feels funny", would you right away know it was from pesticide poisoning? Probably not. You would probably think it was from an illness. And may even encourage the child to eat more fruit for the Vitamin C. There are things that you can do to lower the risk... 
Lowering the risk1. Wash all produce before eating. 2. Remove the wax-like film from the fruit. This layer will trap pesticides between the wax and the fruit. When you remove the wax-like substance, you are better able to get at the pesticide residues. 3. Wash oranges before peeling. This reduces the chance of pesticides getting on your hands and then transferring to the fruit. Then wash your hands after peeling to remove pesticide residues before eating or serving. 4. Buy organic fruits whenever you can. 5. Heavy pesticide use is seen on the berries, like strawberries. Avoid these or buy organic. By sensibly choosing your child's fresh fruit, you can better control the desired outcome of a healthy child.
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