Best fruits to eat

2-Week Action Plan

Week 1: Education and Awareness

Which are the best fruits to eat? We learned in the this week’s baby step approach of fruit nutrition that snacking one portion of fruits pre-lunch, pre-dinner or right after your workout is a great start. To expand on this idea use the first week to educate yourself about preparation tips and different fruit varieties.

For variation (check and click the chart below!), pick out other fruits you like and try incorporating them as daily snack. Also cut-up fruit is a great snack. Either cut them yourself, or buy pre-cut packages (sugar free) of fruit pieces like melons or pineapples. Or, try whole grapes or fresh berries.

Preparing Tips

Whole fruits are always the best fruits to eat. Juicing fruits will increase the glycemic index of the food since the fruit sugars are more easily available.

Limit peeling to preserve fiber content. An apple peel contains more than half of its vitamin C and much of the fiber is concentrated there.

It makes sense to grate the peel of an organic lemon or orange and store it since the peel is rich in phytonutrients.

Good to know regarding “best fruits to eat”: vitamins, phytonutrients and fiber are abundant in berries – especially in blueberries.

Check the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ for best fruits to eat

If you can’t afford buying organic fruits I highly recommend to check the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ including a list of the actual clean 15 produce like e.g. cantaloupes, grapefruits, kiwis, mangos, papayas or pineapples.

This valuable resource helps you also avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables. Sadly our beloved apple is number one on this list and it is highly recommended to buy organic apples!

Click here for more informations!

Week 2: Eat 2 servings of fruits per day

Fitting fruit into your day is quite easy since fruit is portable and can be eaten on the go. Keep a bowl of apples, pears and/or oranges on the table or counter. That way you’ll be more likely to eat it or grab one and take it with you.

7 healthy ways to increase fruit consumption

1. Fruit fits naturally into a healthy breakfast. Add a cup of berries or half of a banana to your muesli.
2. Have always some easy fruit salad recipes at hand. They make for a healthy dessert option or an eye catcher on every summer buffet.
3. Add fruit to your leafy or vegetable salad to give it a sweeter taste. Good choice include apples, pears, strawberries, melons, grapes, oranges, grapefruits and blueberries. At dinner, include grapes or orange sections in a salad mix or add crushed pineapples to coleslaw.
4. Frozen juice bars (100% juice) make healthy alternatives to high-fat snacks.
5. Keep a package of dried fruit in your bag or desk. Some recommended fruits that are available dried include: apples, apricots, blueberries, pineapple, mangoes, papayas, figs, dates, cranberries, and prunes. Self made fruit leather is another great option.
6. Bake with raisins, prune puree or dates to reduce fat and increase fiber. Have you ever tried a fruit bread recipe? I recommend researching an easy recipe online and experiment a bit. I love fruit breads especially in winter time.

Are you already a passionate fruit lover?

Then take it to the next level and focus on variety. Eat a broad spectrum of colored fruits per week. For inspiration use my rainbow chart of colorful fruits and try to consume at least two servings per week from each color.

Are you an “overweight” fruit lover?

Are you overweight and eating more than 4 servings of fruits per day?
Reduce your fruit sugar consumption in two easy steps:

Step 1: Switch in the first step to low calorie fruits:

Top 10 of low calorie fruits
Strawberries 32 kcal / 100 g)
Grapefruit: 38 kcal / 100 g
Guava: 34 kcal / 100 g
Blueberry: 36 kcal / 100 g
Raspberry: 34 kcal / 100 g
Red currant: 33 kcal / 100 g
Papaya: 32 kcal / 100 g
Gooseberry: 37 kcal / 100 g
Carambola: 24 kcal / 100 g
Water melon: 37 kcal / 100 g

Step 2: Try to replace 2 fruit servings with vegetables.

What are your best fruits to eat

What are your strategies for eating an optimal amount of fruit? Please share your best fruits to eat or favorite fruit recipes below in the comments.