Oh Fruits... How I love thee... let me count the ways...

When I was a kid, I don't remember eating much beyond the apple and grape realm... as I've grown older and had to adapt my diet and try new foods again I've learned to really love fruit.

Here's a few ways to get in your fruits aside from the au natural version:

• Fruit Salad - the healthier way!
• chop up your favorite fruits - strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, and melons (though I never learned to like those) tend to work the best - you could toss in some bananas or apples if you wish
• add a can of unsweetened crushed or diced pineapple with juice
• if you need it sweeter, add some baking splenda and treat it like sugar or one of those natural sweeteners like truvia or stevia
• it might also be beneficial to squirt a little orange or lemon in there - the citric acid will help keep the fruits fresher longer (lemon or lime also works on avocado - leave the pit in)
• Smoothie it up! - spring is on it's way in my neck of the woods and that means lighter meals, while there are probably hundreds of smoothie combinations here are some of my favorites.
• Banana & Peanut Butter - this is pretty delicious and only has 4 ingredients!
• 1 banana
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• ice
• 285 calories
• Strawberry, Banana & Orange
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 banana
• 1 cup orange juice
• ice
• 270 calories
• Berries Forever! - usually you can find a berry mixture of frozen fruit at your grocer
• 2 cups - blueberries, blackberries, raspberries
• 1 cup skim milk
• ice
• 250 calories

I think you get the jist. Any old combination of smoothie will do. Make up your own - get creative!

• Grill it! - you can grill some of the tougher fruits:
• Pineapple
• Melons
• Bananas
• Pears
• Apples
• Peaches
• if you don't have a grill, sauté them a little, use a little light butter and cinnamon or nutmeg, you can even use some of the Splenda brown sugar blend.
• Bake it! - make a cobbler - without the cobbler! I'm a bag fan of the Splenda baking substitute (not be confused with the sweetner packets! - they are much sweeter). You could easily make your own cobbler topping in a lighter way - using rolled oats, or crushed cereal, or if you don't feel comfortable getting creative and coming up with one of your own. Go to CookingLight and see their ideas.