Most people know they need to eat more fruit in their regular diet. Knowing and doing however, are two very different things. Fortunately, there are some very easy ways to work more fruit into your daily routine. The trick lies in making this healthy and tasty snack more available.
If it’s time to add better foods into the diet to promote improved health and weight loss, here are some great ways to make sure several servings of fruit are worked in:
Shop Smart
Fresh fruit can be a costly purchase, but it doesn’t have to be. Consider buying fruit from a local produce stand for what will typically be the best prices around. Make sure to pick a variety of different fruits, and don’t overload too much. Remember the shelf life of fruit isn’t too terribly long, so it’s best to buy what will be consumed within a few days.
Best Bets
Grabbing any fruit instead of a processed sugar laden or fried snack is always the better choice. That said, when picking up fruit to work into the regular routine, consider fruits that are:
- Easy to carry – Bananas, apples, pears, peaches, and other similar fruits are easy to toss into a bag to consume later.
- Rich in vitamins – Just about any fruit fits this order, but some choices are better than others. Citrus fruits, berries, and bananas are always excellent choices here.
- Sweet – When fruits will replace “normal,” unhealthy snacks, chances are they’ll be used to combat cravings for sweets. With that in mind, oranges, tangerines, strawberries and other sweeter fruits are great choices to beat back a sugar craving.
Slipping Fruit into the Routine
It’s really not as difficult to work fruit into the regular diet as it might seem. Here are some tips for making sure good, healthy choices are made each and every day:
- Stock up on fruit before leaving the house – Toss a few pieces of fruit into a lunch sack or purse before heading out for the day. It’s easy to peel a banana, for example, to snack on in the office. An apple is also a great choice here. If it’s easy to carry along a knife for peeling, citrus fruits work well, too. Berries carried in a baggie can also satisfy after-lunch cravings for something sweet.
- Add fruit slices to regular meals – Cut up a banana and add it to the morning cereal. Toss berries into a yogurt cup to get an extra burst of nutrition. Use orange slices and pineapple to enhance a salad. Apple slices also go great with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Making sure to get several servings of fruit a day doesn’t have to be a chore. Just pick up a few pieces of fruit on the way out the door to make sure snack time provides the body with the fuel and nutrition it needs to get through the day.
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