52-Week Challenge: Week Nineteen

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

Or so they say.  This week's challenge is entitled "For the Love of Fruit."  Consume 2-4 servings of whole fruit per day.  One serving equals 1 cup of berries or other fruit, 1 medium-sized fruit, OR a 1/2 a banana or grapefruit.

Just like vegetables, fruits contain a variety of nutrients that help fight disease, obesity, and aging.  And, just like vegetables, the color of the fruit is a good indicator of the types of nutrients inside.  This is why it's important to eat a variety every day (in ADDITION TO and not INSTEAD of vegetables, as there are some nutrients ONLY found in green vegetables).  Also, fruit tends to be higher in calories than vegetables.  This is why you only need 2-4 servings a day instead of the 4-6 recommended for vegetables.

I will admit:  I am not a fruit person.  I like bananas, apples, and grapes.  That's about it.  However, this week, I am going to to TRY some new kinds of fruit.  Not promising I'll like it. . . but I'm going to try.

Here are some suggestions to incorporate fruit into your day:

BREAKFAST:
This is about the only time of day I eat fruit.  It just seems to go naturally with breakfast.  Add strawberries or blueberries to your cereal or oatmeal or eat a banana, grapefruit, or orange with your meal.  Try to always go with whole fruit as opposed to juice, as juice contains more calories, more sugar, and less nutrients.

LUNCH AND DINNER:
Add fruit to salad.  Put apple or pear slices on a sandwich (this sounds gross to me, but the book suggests it).  Use fruit or a fruit salad as your side instead of fries or potato chips.

DESSERT:
Instead of cookies or pie, reach for a piece of fruit with a small piece of chocolate (preferably dark) after a meal.  This will be hard for me, but I'll willing to try it.

Best of luck!