Brenda Khan
Eating more fruit is a great way to improve your health. Fruits are full of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that can help prevent illnesses and keep your heart healthy. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, which can help lower cholesterol and aid weight loss. To add more fruit to your diet, try snacking on whole fruits, adding fruit to meals like oatmeal or yogurt, and choosing fruits of different colors to get a variety of nutrients. You can also experiment with canned, dried, frozen, or fresh fruits to find what you like best.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How to eat more fruit | Create your own snack pack of fruit, add fruit to yogurt, oatmeal, or chicken/tuna salad, eat dried fruit and nuts, eat fruit for dessert, drink low-sodium vegetable juice |
| Recommended amount | At least half of the recommended amount of fruit should come from whole fruit, rather than 100% fruit juice |
| Health benefits | Lower blood cholesterol, promote weight loss, prevent heart disease, cancer and other illnesses, lower risk for certain diseases, maintain healthy blood pressure, weight management |
| Types of fruit to eat | Seasonal fruit, fruits of different colours, canned fruit in water or juice, fresh fruit, frozen fruit |
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What You'll Learn
- Mix fruit into meals, e.g. add grapes, pineapple, or apple to chicken or tuna salad
- Eat whole fruits for dietary fibre, which improves gut health and keeps you fuller for longer
- Choose fruits of different colours to get a variety of vitamins and minerals
- Swap sugary snacks for fruit, such as a snack-pack of fruit instead of cookies
- Add fruit to breakfast, e.g. sliced strawberries or peaches on oatmeal
Mix fruit into meals, e.g. add grapes, pineapple, or apple to chicken or tuna salad
Eating fruits and vegetables is a cornerstone of good health. They help control blood pressure and cholesterol, keep arteries flexible, protect bones, and are good for the eyes, brain, and digestive system.
Fruits can be easily added to chicken or tuna salads. Firstly, prepare the chicken or tuna salad by mixing the protein of your choice with mayonnaise, mustard, and pickle relish. You can also add in some chopped vegetables like onions, celery, and bell peppers. Then, add in the fruits. Grapes, pineapple, apple, and mandarin oranges are great choices. If you're using apples, quarter the unpeeled apple, remove the core, and slice each quarter lengthwise. You can also add in some raisins and nuts like pecans or almonds for a sweet and savory twist.
Chicken or tuna salad with fruit can be served in a variety of ways. You can serve it on a bed of mixed greens, spinach, or lettuce leaves. It can also be used as a filling for sandwiches or wraps, especially with whole wheat tortillas or lettuce wraps for a low-carb option. For a more creative presentation, you can serve the salad in scooped-out avocado or tomato halves.
In addition to mixing fruits into meals, there are other ways to add more fruit to your diet. You can boost your morning oatmeal or cereal with fresh or dried fruits like strawberries, blueberries, or sliced peaches. Fruit can also be blended into a puree and used as a topping for oatmeal, biscuits, toast, pancakes, or waffles. When choosing canned or dried fruit, be mindful of added sugars and stay hydrated as these options may have higher concentrations of sugar and nutrients.
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Eat whole fruits for dietary fibre, which improves gut health and keeps you fuller for longer
Whole fruits are an excellent source of dietary fibre, which has several health benefits. Firstly, fibre improves gut health. Fibre from fruit can help ease constipation, improve gut health, and reduce cholesterol levels. A low-fibre diet can disrupt the symbiotic relationship between the gut microbiota and the intestine, while a high-fibre diet can modify the microbiota to achieve improved health outcomes.
Secondly, fibre keeps you feeling fuller for longer. Fibre takes longer for your body to digest, so you stay full for a long time. This can help with weight management, which is another benefit of eating more fruit and vegetables.
To eat more whole fruits, try swapping out high-calorie snacks from the vending machine for a piece of fruit. You can also mix fruit into other healthy foods you're already eating, like adding sliced grapes, pineapple chunks, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, or diced apples to your chicken or tuna salad. For breakfast, top your oatmeal with a handful of strawberries, blueberries, or dried fruit.
It's also a good idea to eat a variety of different fruits to get the most benefit. Try to eat fruits of different colours, as this will help you get a variety of vitamins and minerals.
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Choose fruits of different colours to get a variety of vitamins and minerals
Eating fruits and vegetables is a cornerstone of good health. They are a good source of dietary fibre and help control blood pressure and cholesterol, keep arteries flexible, protect bones, and are good for the eyes, brain, and digestive system.
To get the most health benefits, it is important to eat fruits of different colours. Each colour in fruits and vegetables is created by specific phytonutrients, which are natural compounds that help protect plants from germs, bugs, the sun, and other threats. Phytonutrients have potent anti-cancer and anti-heart disease effects.
- Red and pink: Lycopene is a major phytochemical in red and pink fruits and vegetables. It has higher antioxidant activity compared to beta carotene and can reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Some red and pink fruits and vegetables include tomatoes, beets, red peppers, watermelon, pomegranate, cherries, and strawberries.
- Orange and yellow: Fruits and vegetables in this colour group are rich sources of beta carotene, alpha carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Some carotenoids, most notably beta-carotene, convert to vitamin A within the body, which helps promote healthy vision and cell growth. Citrus fruits, like oranges, contain a unique phytonutrient called hesperidin, which helps to increase blood flow. Some orange and yellow fruits and vegetables include pineapple, mango, carrot, oranges, and tangerines.
- Blue and purple: The main phytochemicals present in blue and purple fruits and vegetables are called anthocyanins, which are known to have antioxidant properties and are protective of the heart, brain, liver, and kidneys. Some common blue and purple fruits and vegetables include blueberries, purple figs, eggplant, grapes, plums, and blackberries.
When choosing fruits of different colours, it is also important to consider seasonal produce as they tend to be more nutrient-dense when compared to being picked before their prime. Additionally, opt for whole fruits over juices whenever possible as they retain their nutrients and fibre, which is mostly lost when juiced.
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Swap sugary snacks for fruit, such as a snack-pack of fruit instead of cookies
Eating fruits and vegetables is a cornerstone of good health. They are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that may help prevent heart disease, cancer and other illnesses.
One way to add more fruit to your diet is to swap sugary snacks for fruit. For example, instead of buying a snack-pack of cookies, create your own snack-pack of fruit. While a bag of cookies often contains 150-250 calories with little to no nutrients, a fruit snack pack is a healthier option that will keep you full for longer.
- Mix fruit into other healthy foods you’re already eating. For example, add sliced grapes, pineapple chunks, dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, or diced apples to your chicken or tuna salad.
- Cut up your favourite fresh fruit and add it to plain Greek yogurt to make your own healthy, fruit-filled yogurt without added sugars.
- Make your own blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, or peach puree for topping oatmeal, whole grain biscuits, toast, pancakes, or waffles.
- Try pairing dates with nuts like almonds for a sweet and crunchy treat.
- Add fruit to whole-grain cereal, such as sliced bananas, raisins or dried unsweetened cranberries.
Remember to be mindful of your portion sizes when consuming dried fruit as they are more concentrated in nutrients, calories, and sugar content.
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Add fruit to breakfast, e.g. sliced strawberries or peaches on oatmeal
Eating fruits and vegetables is a cornerstone of good health. They are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that may help prevent heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses. They also help with weight management.
One way to add more fruit to your diet is to start with breakfast. For example, you can add sliced strawberries, peaches, apples, bananas, or pears to your oatmeal. You can also make a fruit salad with oatmeal, juice, and coffee. If you like strawberries, you can combine them with a cup of whole-grain cereal and a kiwi. You can also prepare apple juice and combine it with nuts and pineapple. If you want to try something different, you can make a pear and date fruit salad with peanut waffles.
You can also add fruit to plain fat-free/low-fat yogurt or fat-free/low-fat cottage cheese. For example, you can add berries, sliced cherries, pineapple, or diced peaches, fresh melon, or red grapes. You can even make your own fruit-filled yogurt by cutting up your favorite fresh fruit and adding it to plain Greek yogurt.
Another option is to make a smoothie. For example, you can blend soy milk, oats, strawberries, and bananas in a blender until smooth. You can also add sugar and vanilla to taste. Smoothies are a great option if you're in a rush in the morning but still want a nutritious breakfast.
It's also a good idea to choose fruits that are in season, as they tend to be more nutrient-dense. You can also try adding new fruits or fruit-containing recipes to your diet each week to keep things interesting and ensure you're getting a variety of nutrients.
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Frequently asked questions
Fruit is a good source of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that may help prevent heart disease, cancer and other illnesses. Eating more fruit can also help with weight management.
The American Heart Association suggests filling half your plate with fruits and veggies, which equates to 2 cups of fruit each day. However, the amount of fruit you need depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.
Eating fruits in a variety of different types and colours will help you get the nutrients your body needs. Choose fruits that are in season as they are more nutrient-dense.
There are lots of ways to add more fruit to your diet. You can add fruit to cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, or salads. You can also make your own fruit puree to top oatmeal, biscuits, toast, pancakes or waffles.
