5 Health Benefits of Pipino: Why Your Kids Should Eat More Cucumbers

Pipino, or cucumbers, are commonly found in fresh salads or even mixed in with lemon in those fancy glasses of lemon water we get served in some restaurants or hotels. But did you know that the humble pipino can do more than just lend their bright green hue to a colorful salad or act as a beauty remedy when we put slices over our eyes?

Pipino actually has lots of health benefits for kids and adults alike! In fact, drinking cucumber water has been recommended by experts to prevent GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). And what’s even better: not only are cucumbers easily sourced locally; they also remain one of the more budget-friendly vegetables in the market. They’re also quite versatile as it’s easy to incorporate them as snacks or in your daily dishes. Not sure how? Let’s talk about some of the health benefits of pipino and how you can make easy cucumber recipes below.

Pipino Health Benefits For Your Kids

1 Pipino helps your kids stay hydrated.

Cucumbers are made up of 96% water – it’s one of the highest water content in food! This means that adding cucumbers or pipino to your kids’ snacks can help hydrate them, which can be helpful on hot or busy days.

2 Pipino is low-calorie but nutrient-rich.

One of the concerns we may have about giving our kids snacks is that they may eat too much. However, you won’t need to worry about this when it comes to pipino! That’s because it’s got a low calorie count, but you’re not feeding your kid empty calories either: cucumbers are rich in essential nutrients like vitamin K, which helps in blood clotting. Pipino is also rich in vitamin C, which helps boost your child’s immunity – something we can all appreciate in this post-COVID reality.

3 Pipino can boost digestive health.

Pipino’s high water content doesn’t just help keep your child hydrated! Together with its high fiber content, it also supports your child’s digestion – and a healthy digestive system helps prevent constipation.

4 Pipino can make your kid’s skin glow.

We don’t mean glow as in, like superpowers, of course: we mean healthy, glowing skin! Cucumber contains silica, which aids in making collagen in the body, and which in turn helps skin look clearer and radiant-looking. It’s the same reason they help reduce puffiness and dark circles when we put them over our eyes… except kids can actually eat them instead and still get these benefits for their skin.

5 Pipino can also boost your kid’s eye health.

Pipino are also rich in antioxidants – particularly, beta-carotene, which the body can process to produce vitamin A. You’ll see this is important as vitamin A actually not only keeps skin healthy; it makes eyes healthy, too! (See what we did there?)

How To Add More Cucumber To Your Kid’s Diet

1 Pipino can be served as snacks.

Pipino or cucumbers have a mild, refreshing flavor, and there’s a chance your kids will love them as is! You can also serve them with a honey-yogurt dip with other veggies or fruits.

2 Add pipino to sandwiches.

One easy way to add fresh vegetables to your child’s diet is by adding them to savory sandwiches. For example, this creamy tuna and cucumber sandwich recipe is a great way to introduce them to pipino! If you want heavier bite, you also can’t go wrong with this crispy chicken burger with cabbage-cucumber slaw recipe. 

3 Make pipino-based drinks.

Remember how we said pipino is 96% water? Well, that’s the reason why it’s also perfect to add to drinks. You can try combining it with fruits to make this super refreshing watermelon and cucumber cooler recipe or this pineapple and cucumber cooler recipe!  You can even turn it into a sort of snack or dessert if you add pipino to yogurt and make this spinach and cucumber yogurt smoothie recipe. 

4 Serve pipino-based sides.

Because of its flavor, pipino is actually a great palate cleanser. If your kids are into Korean food, you can make this cucumber kimchi recipe. Otherwise, you can also add cucumbers to your salads, like in this easy miso-soy cucumber salad recipe or this refreshing watermelon, mango, and cucumber salad recipe. You can even make a pear-cucumber salad to pair with these excellent teriyaki beef kebabs recipe!

The sky’s the limit when it comes to adding cucumber to your family’s diet. Not only is it nutritious and healthy; it also has a uniquely refreshing taste that will allow you to easily incorporate it in your favorite recipes!

Want more healthy snack ideas? Here are 10 snack ideas you can easily make at home.