Parents in the UAE are being urged to send their children to school with a kiwifruit or two in their lunchbox, by Dubai-based kiwifruit grower from New Zealand.

“Most people know that we should all be eating five portions of fruit and vegetables each day,” Megan Unsworth said. “But many people struggle to get to that target. Kiwifruit is naturally sweeter than most fruit and so it has great appeal to children.”

“Because it’s also a superfruit, parents can be sure their children are getting great nutrition as the same time. It’s an easy way to pack extra nutrition into a school lunch, whether the meal itself is taken in the canteen or brought from home.”

Kiwifruit has high levels of Vitamins C and E, a low glycemic index (GI) and high fiber content. A single kiwifruit contains twice as much vitamin C as an orange of the same size - and three times as much as a lemon.

Kiwifruit’s high fibre content helps to improve digestion in a natural way, and it is the only fruit to contain the soluble protein enzyme actinidin, which helps in digesting proteins from meat and dairy products and stimulates digestion in general.

Hala Barghout, a leading nutritionist and licensed clinical dietician in Dubai, said: “Vitamin C helps strengthen the body’s defences and promotes healthy bones, teeth and blood vessels. Kiwifruit is also a good source of the antioxidant Vitamin E. It provides twice the level of Vitamin E as an apple and is five times more nutritious.”

Kiwifruit is sometimes seen as exotic and many people know it as sweet and succulent, but not many know how much it contributes to health and well-being.

“I would urge parents to try putting one or two Zespri kiwifruit in their children’s lunch boxes this term,” Unsworth said. “They’re very easy to eat: you just cut them in half and scoop out the fruit with a spoon. The gold variety of Zespri kiwifruit has an even sweeter taste and is usually a big hit with children.”

Zespri Kiwifruit is made available throughout the UAE by distributors - Fresh Fruits Company (FFC).

The kiwifruit actually originated in China and was known initially as the Chinese gooseberry when seeds were first transported to New Zealand. However, New Zealand growers became the world’s largest source for the fruit, which became known globally as the kiwifruit after New Zealand’s national symbol - the flightless Kiwi bird. – TradeArabia News Service