Preschooler

Facts About Different Fruits For Your Kid

Facts about fruits for kids

Every child is curious. They ask several questions and some of them may even amaze you at times. But it is up to you to provide them with the right kind of information. This is their age to grow and develop into a smarter and more aware human being. We have collected some amazing facts about different fruits. They are related to different fruits which will interest your child when you tell them. This may even make them an outstanding student in their classroom!

Probably now you won’t have to force them these fruits. They may actually pick their favourites depending on how much the facts interested them.

Apple Facts

  • Apples are the fruit of apple trees and are one of the most widely grown tree fruit.
  • Millions of tonnes of apples are grown every year.
  • There are thousands of different varieties of apples including Fuji, Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady and Granny Smith.
  • Granny Smith apples originated in Australia in 1868 accidentally after a chance seedling by a woman named Maria Ann Smith.
  • An average apple contains around 130 calories.
  • The apple tree originated in Central Asia.
  • China is the leading producer of apples.
  • Apples were taken to North America by European settlers.
  • Apple trees can be vulnerable to a number of different diseases and pests. Chemical sprays are often used to limit the damage but organic methods are also popular.
  • Honey bees are commonly used to pollinate apple trees.
  • Apple trees typically blossom in spring with fruit maturing in autumn.
  • Apple seeds contain a cyanide compound. Our body can handle small doses of this naturally occurring poison so you’d have to eat a huge number of seeds for it to have an effect, and even then the seeds are covered in a protective coating which keeps the cyanide compound safe inside.
  • It is believed that the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” originated in Wales in the 19th century.

 Banana Facts

  • Bananas are the fruit produced by various banana plants.
  • When rip they are usually long and curved with a soft inside covered by a yellow skin (peel).
  • Bananas can be found in other colors, including red.
  • Banana plants are not trees, they are a type of herb.
  • Humans have grown bananas for thousands of years.
  • Most species of banana plant originated in Southeast Asia.
  • Bananas grow in large, hanging bunches.
  • A row of bananas is sometimes called a ‘hand’, while a single banana is called a ‘finger’.
  • The average banana weighs around 125 grams.
  • Bananas contain around 75% water.
  • Bananas have high nutritional value and are a healthy snack.
  • The Gros Michel banana was a popular variety before crops were destroyed by Panama disease in the 1950’s. Panama disease attacks the roots of banana plants.
  • The most popular type of banana sold in stores these days is the Cavendish banana, it is resistant to the strain of Panama disease that effectively wiped out the Gros Michel banana but there are concerns that it too may eventually suffer a similar fate.
  • Lady Finger bananas are small, sweet and have relatively thin skins.
  • Plantains are harder and contain less sugar than normal bananas, they are often used in cooking.
  • Wild bananas grow with large, hard seeds.
  • India is the leading producer of bananas.
  • Bananas sent overseas are picked green and ripened under special conditions when they reach their destination.
  • Fibre taken from banana plants can be used to make clothes.
  • Bananas contain a lot of potassium, making them more radioactive than other fruits. You don’t need to worry though as this naturally occurring radiation has very little effect on the body. Other foods rich in potassium include potatoes, beans, seeds and nuts.

 Mango Facts

  • The mango is one of the most cultivated fruits in tropical areas of the world, it is native to the South Asian areas of Eastern India, Burma and the Andaman Islands.
  • Buddhist monks are believed to have introduced the mango to Malaysia and eastern Asia around the 5th century B.C. Legend has it that the God Buddha found tranquillity and meditated under the cool shade of a mango tree.
  • The evergreen mango tree can grow as high as 35 – 40 m (115–130 ft). They are a long living tree with some specimens having been known to still bear fruit after 300 years.
  • The flowers of a mango tree are small and white with five petals, and the fruit takes between three and six months to ripen.
  • Mango fruit can come in various shapes, size and color including yellow, orange, red and green.
  • Mangos contain many nutrients. The vitamin content depends on the variety and maturity of the fruit. When mango is green and still growing there is a high vitamin C content, as the fruit ripens and matures the amount of beta carotene (vitamin A) increases.
  • Nearly half of the world’s mangoes are produced in India, but the country accounts for less than one percent of the international mango trade due to the fact India consumes most of its own production.
  • More fresh mangoes are eaten around the world every day than any other fruit.
  • Mango lassi is a very popular drink throughout South Asia, it is a combination of ripe mangoes or mango pulp with buttermilk and sugar.
  • Mango salsa and chutney are very popular as accompaniments to salads, chicken, and Fish or served as a snack.
  • Ripe mangoes are often used as an ingredient in curries.
  • The mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. It is also the national tree of Bangladesh.
  • In India and several other cultures, the mango fruit and leaves are ritually used as floral decorations at weddings, public celebrations, and religious ceremonies.
  • Giving someone a basket of mangoes is considered a gesture of friendship.
  • Common mango varieties in countries such as the US and UK include Tommy Atkins, Haden, Kent, Keitt, Ataulfo and Francis. In Asian countries such as India, popular varieties include Alphonso, Benishaan, Kesar, and Chaunsa.

 Orange Facts

  • The orange is a citrus fruit and is a hybrid of the pomelo and mandarin.
  • Oranges have been grown since ancient times and originated in Southeast Asia.
  • As of 2010, Brazil grows one-third of all the world’s oranges.
  • California and Florida are large producers of oranges in the US.
  • Around 85% of all oranges produced are used for juice.
  • Oranges have a high amount of vitamin C.
  • Oranges are domesticated so you are unlikely to find them growing naturally in the wild.
  • Because oranges do not spoil easily and are full of vitamin C during the years of world exploration sailors planted orange and other citrus trees along trade routes to prevent scurvy which is a disease that develops from a deficiency of vitamin C.
  • It is believed that Christopher Columbus was the first to bring orange seeds to America during his second voyage to the region in 1493.
  • There are now over 600 varieties of oranges worldwide.
  • There are typically ten segments inside an orange.
  • Ideal conditions for growing oranges are in sub-tropical areas that have good amounts of sunshine yet moderate to warm temperatures (15.5°C – 29°C (60°F – 84 °F).
  • Orange peel can be used by gardeners to sprinkle over vegetables as a slug repellent.

 Strawberry Facts

  • Strawberries come from a plant called ‘fragaria’.
  • Strawberries are edible (and rather tasty) but technically they are receptacles (the thickened part of a stem) rather than berries.
  • Making things even more confusing, the little hard pieces that appear to be seeded on a strawberry are actually a type of dry fruit (called achene) that contain their own seeds!
  • When ripe, strawberries are bright red, juicy and very sweet.
  • Strawberries have lots of vitamin C.
  • Strawberry plants decline in quality and production after a few years so are typically replanted.
  • Strawberries are picked with part of the stem still attached.
  • Unlike some other fruits, they don’t continue to ripen after being picked.
  • A large number of different pests, such as slugs and fruit flies, like to feed on strawberries.
  • They are also susceptible to a number of diseases, especially those of the fungal variety.
  • Strawberries survive in a range of conditions and will grow happily in most places around the world.
  • Strawberries are eaten in a number of different ways including fresh, dried, as a jam, in a drink or even in a muesli bar.
  • Strawberry is also a popular artificial flavor added to a variety of foods.

 Watermelon Facts

  • Wild watermelons originated in southern Africa.
  • The watermelon can be classed as both a fruit and a vegetable.
  • It is a fruit because it grows from a seed, has a sweet refreshing flavor, and is loosely considered a type of melon (although it is actually a type of berry called a pepo).
  • Watermelon is a vegetable too because it is a member of the same family as the cucumber, Pumpkin and squash. It is also harvested and cleared from fields like other vine growing vegetables.
  • The watermelon is the official state vegetable of Oklahoma.
  • By weight, a watermelon contains about 6% sugar and 92% water.
  • The high water and electrolyte content of watermelons make them ideal as a refreshing summer thrust quenchers. They keep us hydrated, our skin fresh, and can clean the kidneys of toxins.
  • Nutritionally, watermelons contain high levels of vitamin B6 (which increases brainpower), vitamin A (good for eye sight), potassium (which helps in curing heart disease and keeping the heart healthy). The watermelon also contains Vitamin B1, C, and manganese which protect against infections.
  • China is easily the world’s largest producer of watermelons with 69,139,643 tonnes produced in 2011 compared with just 3,864,489 tonnes from the second highest producer, Turkey.
  • All parts of a watermelon can be eaten, even the rind, which actually contains a number of nutrients too, but due to the unappealing flavor is rarely eaten. In China though, the rind is used as a vegetable and stir-fried, stewed or pickled.
  • There are more than 1200 varieties of watermelon that come in various weights, shapes, sizes and red, orange, yellow or white in color.
  • Key commercial varieties of watermelon include the Carolina Cross, Yellow Crimson, Orangeglo, Moon & Stars, Cream of Saskatchewan, Melitopolski, and Densuke.
  • Farmers in Japan have started growing cube-shaped watermelons by growing them in glass boxes where they assume the shape of the box. Originally this was done to make the melons easier to stack and store, but the novelty of the cubic watermelon can fetch double the price of a normal one at the market.
  • As of 2013, the Guinness World Record for heaviest watermelon is for one grown by Lloyd Bright in Arkansas, USA. The watermelon weighed in at 121.93 kg (268.8 lb).

 Also read Facts about the Sun, Moon and the Stars

Space related facts for your kids

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