Cucumbers for Kids: Nutritional Benefits and Recipes

‘Cool as a Cucumber’

How often have you heard this phrase uttered nonchalantly in conversations, that speak of a person who is generally considered ‘peaceful’ by nature?

For the purposes of this article, we will speak of why that Cucumber is ‘Hot’! You heard that right. It’s ‘hot’ when it comes to the several Health Benefits of Cucumber, that make it impossible to not have our children partake of this wonderful ‘veggie’. Or should we say, ‘fruit’? That’s right. The cucumber, like the tomato, is in fact a ‘Fruit’. Bet you didn’t know that already!

That’s merely the tip of the iceberg, where it comes to information pertaining to Cucumber for Kids. In this article you will learn everything from the Health Benefits of Cucumber, to Cucumber Recipes for Kids. Ready to ‘cool off’ with some ‘hot’ information? Read on, as we start our exploration with a look at What is the Nutritional Value of Cucumbers.

Table of Contents:

• Cucumber for Kids: Understanding what the Nutritional Value of a Cucumber is
• Cooler than you think: The Health Benefits of Cucumber
• Cool as Ice: Cucumber Recipes for Kids

Cucumber for Kids: Understanding What the Nutritional Value of a Cucumber Is

There’s plenty more that meets the ‘Eye’, than those round slices of Cucumber on the ‘Eyes’ commonly used by people to destress! While your child might love indulging in said routine themselves, there’s plenty more ways in which they can benefit from the goodness of Cucumbers!

Let us begin by exploring some of the things that are packed into a raw, medium-size cucumber!

• 30 Calories
• 3 grams of protein
• 10 percent of the daily requirement of Vitamin C
• 2 grams Fiber
• 6 grams Carbs
• 0 grams Fat

So yes, while the ‘Calories’ and ‘Fat’ values might stand out more than anything else here, there’s more to a Cucumber than the 96 percent ‘Water’ it contains! Allow us to explore more of the same in the next section, that speaks of the Health Benefits of Cucumber.

Cool Fact: Cucumbers can be introduced to kids when they are as young as 6 months of age.

Cooler than you Think: The Health Benefits of Cucumber

That Cucumber is a whole lot cooler than we give it credit for! Presenting the Health Benefits of Cucumber, that will ensure you give your kids plenty of this ‘cool fruit’.

1. Hydration, Hydration, Hydration

Yes there’s more to cucumbers than merely ‘water’, but that doesn’t mean we downplay the role of that Water in any way.

Cool Fact: Cucumber-infused Water, is an especially cool way to get kids to cool off after intense physical activity.

2. Vitamin-Rich

Besides the vitamin C we mentioned above, the cucumber is infused with a whole host of other vitamins, too.

Fact: Examples are Vitamin A that boosts vision,and vitamin B6 that ensures the presence of enough hemoglobin in the blood.

3. It reduces Uric Acid

How might that help, you ask? The answer is, it helps prevent Inflammation, which is not only a precursor of disease but also serves to cause a great deal of pain.

4. A Guilt-Free Addiction

If your child can’t keep away from those cucumbers, that’s one addiction you wouldn’t mind them having!

Cool Fact: As we have seen earlier, a cumber contains barely any calories. Even if you add it to some delicious Greek yogurt and give it to your kids, that makes for a totally ‘guilt-free’ snack!

5. Great for preventing and treating Skin Eruptions

Childhood is the time, when we see skin eruptions of all kinds,more than ever.

Hot Tip: Cucumbers help prevent skin eruptions, but here’s how to take it a few notches higher. Those ‘slices of cucumber’ have another zone to target apart from the eyes. Place them on the affected skin area for a few hours, and you might be surprised by the results!

6. Great for a Pick-Me-Up

All of us are prone to low energy levels at times.

Cool Fact: It’s the B-vitamins and carbs that are found in cucumbers that can provide just the dose of energy you need to face the day afresh.

7. Great for clotting blood

If there’s ever a time in our lives when we are prone to those bleeding ‘cuts’, it’s in our childhood years!

Cool Fact: Cucumbers are laced with Vitamin K, which works wonders when it comes to clotting that blood that stems from kids’ wounds.

Cool as Ice: Cucumber Recipes for Kids

Now that we have seen the several advantages of cucumber, let’s explore some fun ways in which we can get our kids to eat it.

Presenting some Cool Cucumber Recipes for Kids, that will get them craving for more of this refreshing fruit!

1. Cucumber Sushi

All kids are fascinated by Sushi. But wait, Cucumber Sushi? How cool is that!

Ingredients

2. 1 Cucumber (big size)
3. ½ Avocado
4. 1 cup Rice (cooked)
5. 1 tbsp Mayonnaise
6. Lime Juice (single squeeze)

Instructions

7. Wash the cucumber well before cutting it into 10-cm lengths.
8. Using an ‘apple corer’, create a ‘tunnel’ through the cucumber.
9. Mash the avocado, lime juice and mayonnaise in a bowl.
10. Add rice to the mixture and combine well.
11. Gently push the cucumber mix into the rice tunnel.
12. Slice the cucumber into 2 cm-thick slices, before serving!
13. Cucumber Raita

Sometimes, all you need is some good old ‘comfort food’. With a ‘twist’, of course!

Ingredients

14. 5 cups of Yogurt
15. ½ Cucumber (grated)
16. ½ tbsp Jeera
17. ½ tbsp Salt
18. ½ tbsp Black Pepper

Instructions

19. Roast the jeera on medium-flame for 60 seconds. Then let it cool for a while.
20. Delicately add water to the yogurt in a bowl, and whisk to remove any lumps.
21. Now you want to add the cucumber, salt, pepper and jeera.
22. Stir the mixture well, to combine all ingredients effectively.
23. Chill the ‘raita’ in the fridge before serving it cold!
24. 4-Cheese Cucumber Stackers

These look so lovely, your kids might almost resist eating them for a while!

Ingredients

25. 2 Cucumbers
26. 4 Cheese slices (each of a different variety, sliced from fresh cheese)

Instructions

27. Slice the cucumbers into rounds that are each ¼-inch thick
28. Using a small flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut the cheese into shapes.
29. Stack in this way:: Cucumber slice, cheese 1, cheese 2, cheese 3, cheese 4, before topping with another slice!

As we have seen in this article, there’s plenty more Health Benefits of Cucumber, than merely getting us to ‘cool off’! What’s more, it’s not very difficult to get our children to eat them. Thanks to the wonderful recipes we have provided here, you will find this is made a whole lot easier! Get your supply of Cucumbers today. English Cucumber or the regular kind, both are a ‘cool’ choice to make indeed!