It’s well-known that fruits are an essential part of a healthy diet. However, adding more fruit to your diet can feel like a struggle – after all, there are days when you simply don’t want to eat healthily, and others when the sweetness of your favorite fruits feels like it’s too much.
While a cheat day once in a while it is okay, you’ll still need to develop strategies to incorporate fruits into your diet regularly. To make things easier, here are 6 techniques you can try.
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Try Dried Fruit
Chopping fruits to go can be challenging, especially when you only have enough time to grab a toast on your way to work. Instead, prepare batches of dried fruit in advance, so you can easily grab some when you’re short on time. Not only are they delicious, but they’re also a good snacking option between meals.
If you want to add more fruits to your kids’ diet, dried fruit serves as a tasty treat. You can also use them as topping for other desserts, ensuring you get your daily fruit servings in without compromising on other favorites.
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Be Sneaky
Look for unobtrusive ways to add fruits to your diet. Can you slip some into a salad or savory dish? Hide them in a cake or other dessert?
If your mind is facing a fruit overload, hiding them out of sight makes it easier to consume without feeling overwhelmed. This is also a great option for kids who are recalcitrant about eating more fruits, and it’s also a technique you can try if you need to get more vegetables into your diet.
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Try Juices And Smoothies
Juices and smoothies are an easy way to add fruits to your diet, and you can consume a variety of options in a single drink. All you need is centrifugal juicers, which are a great option, and the fruits of your choice, and you’re good to go. Aside from fruit juices and smoothies, you can also make fruit-and-veggie combo drinks.
A juicer allows you to experiment with recipes and fruits. You can hide the taste of a fruit you don’t like in a juice containing numerous other ingredients, allowing you to add important nutrients to your diet without the taste that goes with it.
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Buy More
If you’ve got fruits at home, you’re more likely to reach for them than you would if you first had to make a trip to the grocery store. Stock up on your favorites when you next go shopping and cut down on the unhealthy options you buy at the same time.
When a food item is all around you, it’s hard to resist. Use this strategy to trick yourself into eating healthy by surrounding yourself with fruits.
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Try Something New
Bananas, apples, oranges, pears, and watermelon – the same options can get old and boring, causing you to lose interest and forego fruits in your diet. Instead, add some variety to your diet with the help of exotic fruits like mangosteen, passion fruit, and dragon fruit. Alternatively, look for new ways to cook and consume your old favorites – you already know you like the taste, it’s just time to rediscover your taste for them.
Food ruts are natural and normal, but you should have strategies for getting out of them when they occur. Trying new recipes can be a fun activity to do with family and help you discover why you fell in love with your favorite fruits in the first place.
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Go Slow
So, you’re trying to eat about six servings of fruit each day – but the problem is, your current diet only has 2 or fewer daily servings of fruit on average.
While you could go full steam ahead and change your diet overnight, this approach has a larger chance of failing. Going from 2 servings to 6 servings increases the chance of food fatigue, and there’s a good chance you’ll return back to your regular diet.
Instead, increase your fruit intake gradually. Try going from an average of 2 daily to 3 servings thrice a week, and continuing to add fruits to your diet until you reach your goal of 6 daily servings. This will help you adapt to the changed diet and make it easier for you to stick to it without getting into a food rut.
Fruits are an essential part of your diet, and these tips and tricks will help you increase the amount of fruit you consume daily. That said, make sure that you do so carefully to ensure that you’re able to continue with your new healthy habits for years to come. Before you know it, you’ll be feeling the health benefits!
