LegendaryLife.com Blog

I was looking through the local newspaper insert from a grocery store and on the back, there was an entire page dedicated to Shrek puddings, Shrek Frootloops and Shrek snacks of various types. What I found interesting is how all these foods… marketed squarely towards kids, where ALL junk food. So here is my top 10 list to help parents buy HEALTHY Shrek colored food (ei: all green). Unlike junk food, it’s very difficult to become obese or overweight eating these fruits and vegetables. Tell your kids that these are truly Shrek based foods because they are things he might find in his swap (use your imagination) as there are no grocery stores there.

10: Green Granny Smith Apples

These apples are very filling, exploding with fiber and very nutritious. If your child wants a few of them as a snack, no problem. Apples are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They’re also a good source of Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C.

9: Green Watermelons

Watermelons are fantastic during hot summer days, add them to salads or serve them simply in slices. Don’t forget that every part of the watermelon is edible, from the red interior with seeds to the rind. I enjoy them with a little salt added and even as a drink.

8: Unripened Green Bananas

Bananas are a stable in many tropical countries where people include them in their breakfast, lunch and supper… including snacks throughout the day! Banana trees grow up to 26 ft high in bunches of up to 150 and are very high in Vitamin B6 (pyriodoxine), Vitamin C, Potassium, fiber and Manganese. Please wait till they turn yellow before eating
7: Green Peppers

You see green pepers on pizza, in salads and are great when mixed with other fruits / vegetables in a juice. They are easily added to any meal, such as pastas, soups and great simply raw.

6: Green Spinach

Sure they are high in Iron but they are contain a lot of anti-oxidants and minerals to make them a great all around vegetable. Their high fiber content makes them ideal for people with digestion (processing) problems and they are full of flavonoids which are great anti-cancer agents.

5: Green Dried Seaweed and Kelp

The Japanese produce some truly amazing dried Seaweed and kelp. It tastes great, packed with just about every vitamin and mineral known but I warn you ahead of time, once you start eating it, you can’t stop
4: Green Broccoli

I really don’t understand why there is such an aversion to broccoli, it’s one of my favorite vegetables. It tastes great raw, steamed or cooked in a soup and is packed with nutrition and fiber. George Bush Senior may have banned Broccoli from Air Force One but he didn’t abandon it from your kitchen! Buy it today!

3: Green Vegetable Based Pasta

I have seen this starting to appear in more and more places, basically, instead of 100% flower/egg based traditional pasta, they now sell multi-vegetable based pasta which is far more nutritious and tastes great! One of the tricks to a healthy diet is replacing foods that are so-so with foods that have great nutritional profiles.

2: Green Pears

I LOVE pears, they taste fantastic, packed with all of natures goodness and best of all, extremely high in fiber. It’s one of the few fruits that you can eat 5 and poo 10 of them hahahaha. I know some people bake them or add them to soups, as for me, I like them raw in bunches of 5.

1: Green Kiwi

Kiwis are just one of those fruits that if you where ever stuck on a deserted island with only one fruit available, would be at the top of my wish list to bump into. They are packed with nutrition, water and have a particular taste that never gets old. I add them to home made carrot/orange juice to spike up the flavor.

The Bottom Line

The next time you or your kids want to buy something GREEN because it’s marketed as Shreks (etc.) foods of choice, pick one from my top 10 list… your body will not only thank you but get you well on your way to proper nutritional habits.