Do we limit our childrens fruit intake ?

We are very excited to be purchasing part of a citrus orchard. Over time we will move it from a semi monoculture to a vast verity of fruiting trees, shrubs, vines etc. I want to plant fruit, cause we don't need encouragement to eat it. When was it you heard, come on kido, open wide, time for your strawberries.... no we just eat strawberries, we don't need any encouragement. So lets focus on yummy food !

The remainder of the orchard is also available for sale, but a section is being kept by the current elderly, and very nice, owners. Currently on their land they have sweet juicy mandarins ripe and ready for eating. Every week or so they offer us a bucket full, and we eagerly accept - I am now helping them pick our mandarins so must be on the inner circle :) 

We got some over the weekend, and we hoed into them. After half a dozen each, we limited the kids intake. We simply didn't want them gone in a day. It make me think. If we had purchased them from the local supermarket were they are approximately $3/kg, we would have been far more stingy. Firstly likely to have purchased say 1 - 2 kg in total. Quick weigh check and our mandarins are around 100 grams each. So if purchased 2 kg, that would be 20 fruits. We are a family of five, so had a total of four each. So once the kids had consumed four, we would have said no more, till we purchase some again, likely in a weeks time. Yet because they are free, once limiting the first go, they can now eat as much as they like (and so can I!)

So in conclusion we often limit our children (and our own) fruit consumption due to the perceived cost of the fruit (an sandwich is cheaper and more filling, but less healthy) 

Therefore as a family we should obtain significant volumes of fruit for free, so we don't limit our children, or our own, intake. For me the focus is on growing my own, to maximize the nutrient levels. However if you don't have a green thumb, and have no desire to grow your own. I suspect with a bit of searching you can source your own fruits from friends, neighbors etc. Most people are very happy to share with you, as when fruit comes into season there is plenty for all. One of my first posts was about the plenty that was around.......  waiting to be consumed.... so ask around and maximize your fruit intake