Famefit

One of the main reasons I buy organic produce is to eliminate the risk of pesticides from my diet. Even with a good wash, I’m still paranoid that I can’t get everything off. And since any produce – organic or not – is handled considerably before it makes it to the market, washing is a must. [...]

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As much as I love fresh flowers, and I do love fresh flowers, they are apparently not the best home décor decision for someone trying to lose a few pounds. Instead, Dr. Oz says that a fruit-filled centerpiece is the optimal choice. According to his ultimate slim-down plan, “Studies have indicated that people who smelled fruit before a meal lost an average of 30 pounds over the course of six months. [...]

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It’s been easy living meat-free for the Give It Up Challenge, except when it comes to lunch. Lunch for me is a turkey sandwich of some sort, which is off limits right now. And while I love a good veggie sandwich, I’m already tiring of the usual combos. But a recent lunch date taught me that fruit makes an awesome sandwich filling and, in terms of heartiness, a great meat fill-in. [...]

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Besides freezing fruit and making smoothies, another way to use up all that farmers market bounty in your kitchen is to dry it. Dried fruit is a great healthy snack that’s easy to tote around, and it also doubles well as a salad topping, cocktail garnish, or trail mix ingredient. [...]

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On Sunday I spotted the first signs of Fall at my farmers market: McIntosh apples. The sight of them got me so excited that I ran to the farmers stall with an expression of unabashed glee on my face. I love apples; the sweet and crunchy snack is full of all sorts of nutritional goodness, and they taste good on their own, in salads, desserts, and savory dishes too. [...]

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I love fruit as is, but I’m always looking for ways to make things more creative – especially since the mister is not as big of a fruitoholic as I’d like. He’s much more likely to eat one of my fruit dishes over a plain apple or banana. I’m big into making smoothies and homemade fruity popsicles, and now I’m putting them onto a stick. [...]

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They say you can’t really compare apples and oranges, but what about grapes and raisins? I have often wondered how the dried version compares with its juicy source.

When a fruit is dried, many of the nutrients become concentrated. According to the Berkeley Wellness Newsletter, ounce for ounce, raisins have almost three times the antioxidants as their grape counterparts. [...]

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Last week, YumSugar had a box of kiwis up for grabs, but she was having trouble finding any takers. Kiwis are a polarizing fruit, but they’re definitely a healthy food worth trying.
This fuzzy-skinned fruit is packed with vitamin C: one medium kiwi contains about 70.5 mg of C, just slightly less than one medium orange. [...]

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I stopped buying bags of potato chips (my weakness) because I found that if they were in my kitchen, I’d snack on them. Not only because of their salty, crunchy goodness, but because it was so easy to rip open the bag and munch away. Healthier choices take only minutes to prepare, but somehow the ease of reaching into a bag of ready-to-eat food makes it so much more appealing. [...]

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The farmers market by my house is bursting with garden goodness. From juicy strawberries and blueberries to baby greens and broccoli, I’m stocking my fridge full. I have to say, though, the hot sunshiny weather definitely makes me crave refreshing fruits, so I have to make an effort to get my fill of veggies. [...]

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