Easy Ways to get your Daily Fruit Requirements

Many adults don’t know the recommended amount of fruit that they should be eating on a daily basis. Do you? The Recommended Daily Amounts for food groups are created for the average healthy adult man and woman. Healthy adults should be consuming at least 2 cups of fruit per day, or about 3-5 servings. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories, and high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other important nutrients called phytochemicals. The benefits of the various phytochemicals are also mentioned in this article. For many people, 3-5 servings of fruit on a daily basis is a tough target. Make this goal easier by preparing creative, simple recipes with your favorite fruits, for every meal of the day!

Breakfast – Breakfast is, indeed, the most important meal of the day. Eating a breakfast filled with protein and fiber will give you the energy you need to start the day and keep you full until lunch. One of the easiest breakfasts to prepare is oatmeal. To add some flavor to your oats, fruit is a great option. Overnight oats can be prepared in individual containers in the beginning of the week and stored in the fridge for the best grab-and-go breakfast. Absolutely any variety of fruits can be put in to your overnight oats for a sweet addition. Try combinations like peaches and ginger, mango coconut, mixed berry, or banana kiwi. Using 1 cup of any fruits you choose will give you a whole serving….just for breakfast! You will be getting tons of vitamins and nutrients from the fruit and fiber from the oats, which makes this breakfast a 10/10. You could even add some peanut butter or chia seeds for a protein bonus!

Lunch – Salads contain a multitude of vitamins and nutrients as well as fiber to fill you up and keep your energy high to power through the day. Adding fruits to salads gives delicious variations of flavor and color, and is an easy way to get more servings of fruit into your diet!

Apple, Peach & Cranberry Salad

• 2 cups of spinach leaves
• 1 cup arugula
• ½ cup chopped apples
• ½ cup sliced peaches
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 3 Tbsp. sliced almonds

Optional: equal parts balsamic vinegar and olive oil for a light and delicious dressing

Dinner: When you think of dinner recipes, you don’t necessarily think of fruit. However, the most creative and tasty dinner recipes have fruit in them! Incorporating fruit into your last meal of the day can top of your recommended servings and have you feeling accomplished. This Sweet Potato Pineapple Soup from Food52 is “fruity and fresh”, and perfect for sneaking some fruit onto the dinner table.