(NC)—Looking for ways to incorporate healthy foods into your kid's snacks that they will actually want to eat? Sweet and juicy fresh pears are a versatile and yummy addition to a lot of childrens' favorite snack foods. Fresh USA Pears are loaded with good-for-you stuff like Vitamin C, potassium and fiber, but they are so sweet that your child won't guess they are eating a very healthy fruit. Pears contain levulose, one of the sweetest known sugars, making them a good alternative to processed sweets since an average size pear has only 100 calories and no saturated fat. You can find a gallery of great kid's recipes and games at www.usapears.com.

In the meantime, here are a few quick and easy ways to add fresh pears to your child's snack menu:

• Add fresh sliced pears to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

• Top a bowl of frozen low-fat vanilla or chocolate yogurt with wedges of fresh pears.

• Sprinkle chopped pears on hot or cold cereal.

• Halve and core a fresh pear. Fill up the center with one of your child's favorite soft foods. (Jelly/jam, caramel or chocolate sauces are tops on our topping list!)

• Tie pieces of "string cheese" around fresh slices of pears

- News Canada