Fruits + a little portion control

Growing up I never really liked any sort of melons or berries.  I actually detest the texture of berries (excluding strawberries) because of the seeds.  Melons just tasted worse than anything to me (watermelon, honeydew, you name it) because they were not tart or sour and since I just love sour or tart things, I never found a reason to eat them.  Now as I've grown older and come to understand that there are health benefits to every single fruit and vegetable, I wanted to figure out how to get the benefits of eating these foods without spitting them out and making a huge scene in front of myself or those around me (I can be a bit dramatic).  SO. Today I realized the power of the LEMON.  To add a different taste to the melons, I squeezed some lemon onto the bits of melons (melon and lemon are cool to say together and sort of annoying to say together at the same time).  It was very tasty and I thought I would share this different way to approach these fruits. As for the berries... well I found out that frozen berries are amazing and the texture is completely different.  I now have a bag of frozen berries in my fridge (half empty, might I add) that I am just obsessed with eating and love and may perhaps ask to marry me before they die off.

Another thing I'd like to talk about is HOW to add fruits as a healthy snack to your day with minimal hassle.  I've compiled a list of ways to make things easier on your daily fruit eating, because we live in America and if things aren't easy we freak out.  This is an odd topic, but I feel like it has helped me with my daily fruit intake. 

1. Buy Frozen for snacking at home
   Frozen fruits are easy to store and easy to grab in between meals if you are at home.  They are also versatile because you can throw a mixture of fruits into a blender with some yogurt or orange juice and make a smoothie, mix some into your water or tea, or put them in a Ziploc bag as a snack. Coming soon: In my next blog I will put a recipe (a creation by me for me so that's kinda cool) of a smoothie that I enjoy taking in the morning for breakfast!
2. Wash or cut up fruits the night before work/school/your day out and store in fridge
   I normally would not take fruits to school because I would have to cut them or peel them or slice them and they were a hassle when water wasn't around to wash them at school.  And in the morning, doing all of this would take up too much of my precious time (time in which I needed to look at myself vainly in the mirror, talk to no one angrily about how rushed I felt, and check social media in which nothing exciting was going on).  So now the night before, I wash the fruits I want, cut them (if they wouldn't brown), and put them in a Ziploc bag so that they were ready to roll the next morning.  Also, If I am planning on making a smoothie the next day, I set my alarm for a leeeeeetle bit earlier.  Just so I have that extra time to enjoy.
3. Ever heard of Peanut Butter?  How about Nutella?
   I've heard that some fruits are unbearable to some people. Someone actually told me that they hated strawberries before.  Really?  Strawberries?  I thought that was like a universal party in your mouth.  But alas, I was wrong.  SO.  Maybe try these fruits with peanut butter. OR Nutella (for the chocolate fans).  I like the organic peanut butter without sugar so it fits just right with the really sweet fruits.  Even if you don't hate the fruit but want a little variety, peanut butter is a healthy option to add a different taste to your fruits and makes a healthy snack (in moderation). 
4. Dried Fruits... without the added sugar
   This is dangerous advice if not advised correctly.  Dried fruits are a very good option if you want something easy and quick.  HOWEVER, many companies that make dried fruits tend to add a lot of sugar.  Here is a news flash: fruits already contain sugar.  So, when trying this option, be sure to go for the dried fruits that don't contain any added sugar.
5. Add fruits to normal food!
   Pancakes for breakfast?  Great!  Try some sautèed strawberries or blueberries over that.  How about cereal?  GREAT add a sliced banana to that!  Having some chicken salad for lunch?  Awesome!  Add a few sliced grapes to it, it will make the taste that much better.

Okay list over.  I'm really bad at transitioning sometimes so I will just say .. transitioning transitioning transitioning. (I'm imagining the beeping noise a work truck makes when it backs up.  Not sure why).

Lastly, I'd like to talk about portion control.  This will be a really short paragraph because these are just a few tricks I've learned because portion control is probably the hardest thing for most of the people I know  (primarily myself). Here's another list.

1. Use smaller plates and/or bowls- When getting dinner, if you use a smaller plate, you have less room for food.  When eating cereal, use a cup instead of a bowl!  I've switched to cups for my cereal in the morning because when I have a bigger bowl, I wanna fill 'er up!  Now I can fill up a serving (1 cup) and be completely satisfied with myself and my meal.

2.  Fill up yo' plate wit yo' veggies-  Simple and easy.  Side dishes are probably the best part of the meal, especially when it's vegetables.  Fill your plate with vegetables/fruits and the rest with the other food.  This should take up about half of your plate.  Picture below.  

3.  ZIPLOC'S WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE.  AND YOUR GUT.-  At home?  Snacking?  Awesome.  Just look at the suggested serving size, and put THAT SUGGESTED AMOUNT OR LESS in a Ziploc baggie. Then, never return to the pantry to refill again.  Which you probably won't if you are anything like me.  Too lazy to deal with it again.  This also works REALLY WELL when you are going to pack lunch.  You don't need to take the whole bag with you.  Just fill up some Ziploc's and you're good to go!

4.  Fill up with water.  Seriously.-  Drink water and lots of it, especially before a meal.  This is very good for you but also makes you feel more full before eating a large meal.  I like to do this before I'm about to eat at a restaurant.

5.  Throw some nasty sauce on dat-  If I'm full and I know it but the food is just so dang good (or I'm just eating it because it's in front of me),  I like to do a little trick called the NASTY SAWCE.  Just grab the nearest condiment and DROWN YOUR FOOD IN IT.  It can be anything, pepper, salt, Sriracha sauce, ranch, or just mixing the foods on the plate together.  That way, you will not be tempted to eat any further.  This is another trick I use at restaurants... they are just so good at making you want to eat a lot...

Anyways.  Okay enough banter.  I hope this helps any one in any way!!  My next blog shouullllddd be full of my favorite recipes but we'll see how long it takes to put that one up.  

Happy & healthy eating!

-ASH