3 easy steps to eating more fruit
OK, I admit it: while I am a huge fan of fresh vegetables of all kinds, I am much less interested in fruit. It’s not that I dislike fruit; I just don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I’ll take a pile of steamed spinach over a slice of watermelon any day. I occasionally get excited over fresh berries or figs, but in general I tend to be pretty apathetic when it comes to eating fruit. Left to my own preferences, I’d rarely if ever eat it.
But by skipping fruit, I’m obviously missing out on a whole lot of good-for-me stuff. Fresh fruit is full of vitamins, fiber, and other health-enhancing goodness. So I figured it was high time I build a fruit-eating habit.
By all recommendations I’ve seen recently, I should be eating about two cups of fruit a day. That’s significantly more than the zero cups I usually eat. But, I’ve found that implementing the following steps has made the transition to fruit-eater relatively painless:
- Buy lots of fruit. You can’t eat it if it’s not there. I’ve been stocking up on bananas, kiwis, and delicious seasonal treats such as apples, mandarins, and figs.
- Display the fruit prominently. Visual cues (like a beautiful overflowing fruit bowl on the desk or table) help remind me to eat fruit, and get excited for it.
- Find good times of day to eat fruit. I’ve found that eating fruit for dessert doesn’t work for me – if I’m in the mood for dessert, fruit is just a disappointment (basically any dessert without chocolate just isn’t worth my time). What works better is first thing in the morning or as a mid-afternoon snack. I also enjoy having a piece of fruit before lunch or dinner. Eating fruit when I’m at my hungriest makes me enjoy it more. Experiment to see which times are best for you.
I’ve been trying this for a couple weeks, and my fruit consumption is already significantly higher. A couple more weeks of this and it could become a real habit.
Do you eat enough fruit?
Interesting. I think I eat plenty of fruit (maybe too much?) but perhaps not enough vegetables. I frequently eat fruit (either fresh or dried) for breakfast and for snacks during the day, and I tend to have an apple or peach or something for lunch. On top of that, I have at least a glass of fruit juice (apple or orange) every day. I guess I find vegetables annoying because they generally taste better cooked, and that takes preparation, and then I have to clean up after I’m done, which makes it less worth it. Any suggestions? Thanks!
I’m not sure I eat enough fruit, either, and for the same lack-of-a-sweet-tooth reason. I don’t buy a ton of fruit at once, but rather enough for 2-3 days. And I tend to get the more sour fruits (grapefruit, Granny Smith apples, yellow plums with their somewhat sour skins). I’m also drinking a couple glasses of juice every day, but varying the kinds I drink (cranberry, orange, apple cider).
Simon – funny how people have such different habits and tastes, isn’t it? I have tons of suggestions for eating more veggies – I think I’ll make that my post on Tuesday. You mention you’re not a huge fan of cooking… may I ask what do you usually do for meals? Eat out? Microwave meals? Bread and cheese? I’ll see if I can cater my suggestions to various preferences and eating styles.
Rachel – I’ve found that having a whole lot of fruit on hand actually helps inspire me to eat it (although I probably only shop for 3-4 days at a time usually, too). I guess it’s the guilt of not wanting it to go bad, or something. I prefer sour fruits, too. Thanks for reminding me about grapefruit – I should get some next week.
I’m usually not a fan of fruit juice at all (except in the occasional cosmo, I suppose…).
Thanks. I look forward to reading your post on Tuesday. I do like cooking; however, I’m living in an apartment with a non-vegan (I haven’t seen him eat meat, so he might be a vegetarian for all I know, but he does drink milk) who is rarely there, so I always have to make food just for me. So there’s a tendency to be lazy and make a meal out of bread and tofurkey and some fruit. When I do cook, I generally make Indian/Thai food, but it varies. However, I don’t want to make something elaborate every day (especially since it feels as though I’m procrastinating and I ought to be doing one of my many problem sets). I love cooking when I think other people might eat what I make though.
Good list Jul. Especially your comment about eating fruit in the morning. I often try to get clients to eat fruit after meals – to satisfy the sweet craving without resorting to chocolate. But yes, for some it’s just a big let-down. Much better to eat in the morning – when it’s a new day and you’re feeling charged and ready.