Topic 4 How to Increase Fruit and Nut Consumption
Fruits are a staple food in any diet. Fresh fruits are the best option for the nutritional contribution compared to canned fruits or dried fruits where the amount of sugar can be higher, for example. They are also a better alternative to juices because of the higher amount of fibre that fresh fruit provides.
Fruit is usually eaten raw. One way to make fruit more popular in the home is to make it easy to eat. Seasonal fruit can be cut into pieces and stored in the refrigerator. They can also be put on skewers to combine with different types of fruit, combining different degrees of sweetness and a variety of colours. Another option is to combine the fruit pieces with cereals and/or yoghurt.
Fruits can also be present in dishes such as salads. The following videos show three recipe suggestions in which the protagonists are vegetables, fruits and nuts.
The first recipe combines lettuce hearts, peaches and walnuts, to which goat’s cheese is also added, and is dressed with olive oil, Modena vinegar and mustard.
The second recipe is a tomato salad with bonito and chives. Chives are a vegetable of the liliaceae family and of the genus Allium, like onions, garlic, shallots and leeks. All of them stand out because they have sulphur compounds which are those “tear-producing” compounds that irritate the eyes and nose. In this recipe cumin is used as a spice which is mixed with Modena vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
The third recipe of lamb’s lettuce with lemon and cherries, hazelnuts and natural yoghurt. The lamb’s lettuce is a vegetable with small and tender leaves, slightly mucilaginous and with the aroma of flowers and fruits. You can use other vegetables such as endive. You can also use other fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, apricots or pineapple.
Fruits can also be allies in the preparation of desserts. Oranges, peaches or apples can be added when making sponge cakes. Banana pancakes can also be made when they are very ripe. Dried fruits can be used to sweeten these dishes as a substitute for sugar.