Life speeds up after Labor Day, and suddenly we will be a lot busier. But we don't want to lose the habits of eating so much fresh summer food, especially fruits and vegetables. Here's a few tips for making it easy to take fresh fruit to the office or to school.
1. Stock up on melon - There are still some late-season melons around. We like to peel and cut up cantaloupe and other melons into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate. Easy convenience food, and so sweet.
2. Slice an apple - Fresh autumn apples should be flooding the farmers market. This humble fruit is so good when it's fresh and local! Try slicing a chilled juicy apple as thin as possible using a mandoline; the crisp, translucent slices are addictively good.
3. Cut up grapes - Use scissors to snip the woody stems of large grape clusters into a dozen smaller bunches that can be grabbed out of a bowl for lunch or breakfast.
4. Look for clementines - Clementines are the ultimate snack food. They have their own natural shrink-wrapping, easy to remove, and they stay sweet and juicy even on long car trips or commutes. They come in season in October and get sweeter as the season goes on.
5. Try something new - Look for new things to add variety. We tried those golden kiwis for the first time last year and were hooked. A kiwi and a spoon went into our lunch every day. Try buying a ripe mango or papaya and cutting it up for lunch.
What are your favorite ways to eat more fruit?
Other Links
• Five Ways To: Eat More Vegetables
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I like sprinkling berries on my cereal in the morning. Makes it sweet without having to add sugar and also just makes even the most boring cereal exciting.
view bubble's profile
This is a great year for peaches, and we're eating them like they're going out of style. One way we like them is as part of an arugula salad with sliced peaches, goat cheese and a simple vinaigrette.
Also, prune plums are briefly in season right now. Not so good for eating, but excellent for baking.
view Terry B's profile
A Colombian friend taught me how to make Morir Sonandos (there should be a tilde over the first n, but I don't know how to do it). The name means "to die dreaming," which would have gotten me hooked even if they weren't delicious. My favorite is mangos, but lots of other fruit work well, too.
You peel a mango and cut the fruit off the pit. Put it into a blender and add say half a cup of evaporate milk, sugar to taste, and about a cup of chipped ice. Blend, pour, and die dreaming. . . .
view Aulaire's profile
To add to Aulaire's suggestion, smoothies are good too -- I just use ice, fruit, and a little bit of water in mine. It's a delicious way to cool down.
view bubble's profile
-grapes from the freezer
-apples sliced up juilenne & sprinkled with cinnamon ('apple fries')
-melons, figs, peaches sprinkled with tjs california extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper and a glass of wine.
view abby's profile
Grapes are my new favorite snack, but peaches remain my favorite fruit by far--I should get a few quick before they're outta season...
view Jim of ChewOnThat's profile
Berries -just rinse and munch on them instead of junk food.
Apples - I LOVE to slice them up and eat them with peanut butter. yum!
view Sassy in SF's profile