We’re constantly being told by health professionals to make healthy choices when it comes to our diets, and although the threshold of how many portions of fruit we should eat a day changes, it’s clear that we should consume fruit as part of a healthy and balanced diet. 
Why fruit is beneficial
Fruits are full of fibre, vitamins and minerals all of which are essential in helping our bodies to function correctly. The way we eat fruit also impacts our overall health and well-being – sometimes it’s not just as simple as eating a piece of fruit, but the way we eat it that ensures our bodies absorb all the nourishment it can give. Whether fruit is fresh, canned or frozen it all works wonders for our health. For some, eating one portion of fruit is difficult, let alone eating five or more portions a day but it’s easier than you think to pack your diet full of fruit if you follow the tips below:
Breakfast done right
Eating fruit for breakfast or on an empty stomach is beneficial to our health as can cause the digestive system to work quickly, meaning that our stomachs can process the nutrients easier, overall benefiting our health. If you’re eating breakfast on the go, grab a slice of watermelon or pear, or perhaps add more fruit to your usual breakfast. Add cherries to your pancakes, apple and banana to your muesli or blueberries to your porridge.
Make the perfect combinations
Mixing fruits with other foods is another great way of packing your diet full of vitamins, minerals, fibre, potassium and folate. Simply finding the right combinations creates lots of opportunities to eat more tasty fruits at meal times. Try creating healthy main meals with fruit as a component, such as roast pork with apple stuffing, orange and fig salad, watermelon salsa or add tinned or frozen fruit to your stews and casseroles. It’s time to start getting creative in the kitchen and not just with main meals. Lots of desserts contain fruit or fruit can be added to pudding to make it more enjoyable. Top your ice cream with kiwi or lavish bananas in peanut butter and drizzle them with chocolate, eat them straight out the freezer, indulge in fruit kebabs, frozen fruit lollies or whip up a mouth-watering blackberry pie! Creating fruity desserts is a great way to get children involved and get them eating a fruit-filled diet.
Snack right
If you tend to eat three large meals a day, fruit is a perfect choice for those who like to snack. Taking fruit with you to the workplace or on days out makes it easier to get your extra portions. If you find munching on a piece of fruit too boring, change it up a bit! Mix strawberries into your yoghurt, add fruit to your favourite chocolate spread on toast or create a homemade fruit salad. Just a handful of dried fruit or cup of juicy grapes is enough to make up one portion.
Drink your way to 5-a-day
Juices and fruit smoothies are another way to boost your fruit intake, and you can create exciting flavours. Using 80g of two different fruits can increase your intake by up to two portions, but put a limit on how much you consume to 150ml a day, as too much sugar can affect the teeth.
Taste the rainbow with different fruit varieties, and remember, the more colourful food is; the better it is for your health. Red fruits, for instance, such as tomatoes, pink grapefruit and watermelon are full of lycopene, whereas orange coloured fruit is overflowing with beta-carotene including peaches, oranges, mangos, apricots and nectarines, all of which help reduce both the signs of ageing and the risk of future health problems.