A Fruity Affair
5 ways to use fruits to make meals fun
Author: Sandeep Namboodiry
Fresh produce is packed with nutrition and we consider it an essential part of achieving optimal health. However, if you’re not used to eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables, it may be difficult to get everything you need. It’s time to think outside the box, get creative and fill up your weight loss menu with delicious and nutritious produce available throughout the year!
India is home to a wide array of fruits and vegetables, since it has different climate zones, from mountainous to sub-tropical!. Fruits have always played an integral part of our diet and culture.
From mango season to “nimbu paani” during summer to fresh strawberries in winter, India is truly the home of fruits.
Scroll further to make your meals more innovative, healthy and fun with fresh fruits!
1. Freeze Your Fruit
Freezing your fruit creates many new possibilities for fitting it into your diet. You can use frozen fruit to make easy smoothies, smoothie bowls or ice cream with a little yogurt or skim milk. You can also blend frozen fruit with ice to make snow cones or healthy “slushies.” If you or your family enjoy popsicles, you can get creative with making various fruit purees into icy cold treats.
2. Grilling
Grilling adds unique flavour to fruits and veggies as it allows their naturally occurring sugars to caramelize. You can create tasty fruit and vegetable kebabs by cubing your produce and cooking it atop the grill. You’ve likely tried grilled pineapple and peaches. However, the fruity possibilities are endless! Just about any fruit can go on the grill, as long as it’s not overripe and extremely soft. You want fruits that will remain firm and hold their shape.
The same rules apply for grilled veggies. Some of our favourite non-starchy vegetables to throw on the grill include tomatoes, onions, zucchini and bell peppers. You can even grill up dark, leafy greens!
3. Salads
Don’t leave your favourite fruits out of the salad game, fruit can be a delicious way to sweeten up some of your favourite leafy greens. This is another area where you can explore flavour combinations and find something that you like personally. Most people enjoy pairing spinach with strawberries—but fresh spinach can also go great with blueberries or pineapple. Or, what about rocket and apricot or rocket and watermelon?
4. Upgrade Your Pasta
Are you onboard the veggie noodle train? Many restaurants have caught wind of this healthy trend and have made it easier than ever with various pre-cut options available. However, you can also make your own veggie pasta at home with a handy spiralizer. From zucchini noodles to spiralized sweet potatoes.
5. Simple Snacking
Dehydrated fruit and veggies are a great way to make produce even more “snackable.” Once dehydrated, they can easily be tossed into a baggy and eaten on-the-go like chips. Mix with other ingredients like nuts or granola to make a trail mix. Even better news—you don’t need a dehydrator to get the process started. Use the sun to achieve the same results.
