So now you’ve taken the first step. You’ve bought your fruit at the grocery store. But the hard part’s coming up. Now you have to eat it. So…how can we make it a little more appetizing than sucking on a lemon?

Here’s a few snack recipes and tips.

Make Chips:

You can slice up moderately ripe bananas (or plantains) and either slow roast or lightly sauté them. They’ll have a crispy exterior and fruity flavor. If you don’t like the texture of fruit, this is a great way around that.

Frozen Fruit:ID-10031534

Put bananas and grapes into the freezer. It’ll change the texture but keep the flavor and nutrients.

TIP: If you have a girl who loves Frozen, get some Anna and Elsa plates, and have a themed snack time. Some powdered sugar from a sifter could work wonders for this.

If you’re still not thrilled with the taste, dip them in some dark chocolate. That too is rich in antioxidants. And even the pickiest eaters love chocolate!

Popsicles and Smoothies:

Blend fresh fruit with ½ cup of yogurt or 100% fruit juice. Pour them in a popsicle mold and freeze them. Another option would be to just buy frozen juice bars. Or, to make a smoothie, blend fat-free or low-fat milk or yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit of your choice. Some popular fruit smoothie flavors are banana, peach, strawberry, and other berries.

Fruit Kabobs:fruit kabobs

Make fruit kabobs with fruits like pineapple, bananas, grapes, berries and peaches. This is a great addition to a barbeque meal. Go for strawberries and blueberries for a Fourth of July barbeque.

Dinner Time:

Add crushed pineapple to coleslaw. Also try some meat dishes that incorporate fruit. Some great ones are chicken with apricots or mangoes.

Dip ‘Em:

Sometimes a fruit just needs a little extra flavor. Try fat-free or low-fat yogurt as a dip for fruits like strawberries or melons. Or, try the strawberry cream cheese fruit dip. To make it, just mix an 8 oz. package of strawberry flavored cream cheese and a 7 oz. container of marshmallow fluff. Chill it before serving. It’s always a big hit. Maybe not as healthy as the fat-free yogurt, but if you’re picky…you gotta eat, right?

Salads:

Make a Waldorf salad (choose your favorite recipe) and include fruits like apples along with celery, walnuts, and a low-calorie dressing. And of course the old standby, a fruit salad. Mix apples, bananas, or pears with more acidic fruits. These would be your citrus fruits like oranges, pineapples or lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.

Fruit Pizza: fruit pizza

Again, not the healthiest food choice, but it sure has enough fruit. Bake a large sugar cookie (the size of a cookie cake). Cover it with cream cheese. Then lay out sliced fruit on top of the “frosting.” Some good choices are strawberries, kiwis, melons, pineapples, grapes, and other berries. You can place the fruits randomly or in a pattern. Here’s your chance to get creative. It’s a great dessert alternative.

Fruit Pie:

We all love a good slice of pie, but we have to be healthy these days. So, we get rid of that buttery crust. Place the filling for your favorite fruit pie in individual ramekins. Bake them until they set and enjoy your fruit pie without the fattening crust.

Quick Snacks:

  • Spread peanut butter on apple slices.
  • Top plain yogurt with berries or slices of kiwi.
  • Slice up strawberries and dip them in powdered sugar (my personal favorite).

Images courtesy of Stoonn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net, http://texasfarmersdaughter.com/rainbow-fruit-kabobs/, and http://www.chef-in-training.com/2011/08/fruit-pizza-2/