Leading a healthy lifestyle entails exercising regularly, getting ample amounts of sleep and rest and eating a nutritious diet.
Although diet plans will vary in their philosophies and approach, the best ones almost always include fruits and vegetables. If you are trying to clean up your diet, you will find it easier to add more vegetables to your meals. Eating more fruits can be more of a challenge to many people. Here are some tips that will help you consume more fruits and get the most out of them.
Fruits can be stored on the table, counters or in the refrigerator. If you cut up fruits to be eaten later, store them in the refrigerator.
You can save more money by buying fruits that are in season. If you want to save some time and immediately enjoy fruits, consider buying pre-cut packages that many stores sell. If you have a favourite fruit that is not always available, try looking for canned, dried or frozen variants so you can enjoy it any time of the year.
Fruits are best consumed either as a whole or when cut up. Compared to juices, these have dietary fibres which can immensely benefit your body. It is also worthwhile to eat a variety of fruits, especially those in season. This will allow you to get more nutrients. You may also want to regularly consume bananas, prunes, peaches, oranges and apricots and variations thereof which are rich in potassium.
If you wish to add more fruits to your diet, consider eating your cereals with bananas or peaches. For pancakes, blueberries can add a dash of flavour. Wash down your breakfast with either grapefruit or orange juice.
For lunch, bananas, tangerines and grapes are the most convenient to bring and eat at work. Alternatively, you can cut up and store in containers fruits like peaches.
During dinners at home, you can add fruits like oranges and pineapples to your salads and coleslaw. You can also add fruits to meat and poultry-based dishes. For dessert, instead of opting for pastries or other sweets, consider eating fresh fruits or fruit salads.
Now, if you wish for your kids to learn how to eat and enjoy fruits, the first thing that you need to understand is that children look up to their parents. As such, you should set an example for them.
During meals, especially during lunch and dinner, make it a point to include fruits in your menu. Make it easier for your kids to eat fruits by preparing these in such a way that it will be easier for them. That may include cutting them up into smaller pieces.
While shopping, encourage your children to try new fruits by asking them which ones they wish to try. Instead of chips and other unhealthy snacks, consider giving them dried fruits like raisins. Make fruits more appealing by serving them in slices using serving dishes or turn these into fruit kabobs.
Make it a habit to carefully rinse fruits before eating or preparing them. The best way to do that is to place these under running water while rubbing them briskly with your hands. These will help remove dirt and even microorganisms. Afterwards, dry these using a cloth or paper towel.