Eating Fruit

There are so many varieties of fruit that grow and ripen in different seasons throughout the year - in technicolor splendor and with flavors so intense and unique, it's hard to process how wildly delicious they are. I constantly find my self saying, while eating a ripe melon in the summer, for instance, something like, "this melon is so crazy good, I just can't believe how special it is and how lucky I am to be able to eat it when it is perfectly ripe at this particular moment."

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Adapt Your Palate to Enjoy The Flavors of Fruit
How Eating Fruit Changed My Health (and Life)
How and Where to Buy Fruit
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Fresh late summer stone fruit in a bowl on the counter along with figs from the tree

Adapt Your Palate to Enjoy The Flavors of Fruit

Here, I am talking about fruits that are grown by local farmers for flavor and picked ripe. I'm not talking about fruits that are grown by industrial growers, picked green, and bred to resist insects, withstand travel over long distances, and look uniformly pretty on the supermarket shelf.

Seasonally grown fruit flavors are delicate. It's impossible to really experience their subtlety fully if you often eat highly flavored, spicy or rich foods and especially if you regularly eat hyper-palatable ultra-processed foods which are often made with flavor enhancers, additives, and artificial colors to excite your tastebuds and light up the pleasure sensors in your brain.

When I wanted to shift my diet back to eating more fruits and vegetables, I had to really think about the foods I was eating and how added seasonings were likely changing the way all foods tasted. My reasoning was that if I was eating highly seasoned foods all the time, the flavor of plain - unseasoned - fruits and vegetables would seem bland in comparison.

If I wanted to appreciate the juicy explosion of flavor when I bit into a ripe peach, the tangy citrus burst of an orange right off the tree, or the refreshing pop of a sweet cherry, I would have to pivot away from the highly seasoned foods and shift to foods that were prepared simply to let the flavors of the main ingredients shine through. Over time, I found that the flavors of foods I had never really appreciated before started to taste a little better. And better and better over time.

A beautiful bowl of cherries in varying shades of red

I also noticed that my digestion was better without all the seasonings, and cravings I had for certain foods started to go away. I hate thinking about food if I'm trying to concentrate on something else, so this was a huge win for me.

How Eating Fruit Changed My Health (and Life)

While I personally recommend drinking a fresh vegetable juice first thing in the morning (like this green juice or carrot juice or even this cheeky purple one), fruit is a close second. Besides being delicious, the downstream effects are all positive.

Hydration: After fasting overnight, I find that fresh cold-pressed fruit and vegetable juices are a perfect source of hydration because in addition to the water, they contain vitamins and minerals that help to maintain proper fluid and mineral balance in the body's cells, which leaves me feeling balanced and satiated.
Fiber: The fiber in fruit helps me feel full, increases satiety, helps me maintain stable blood sugar levels, and really helps my digestion - especially in the morning. The fiber in fruits and vegetables are known to help maintain bowel health. Fiber intake is also linked to lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and obesity.
Nutrients: Fruits and vegetables contain concentrations of vitamins, especially vitamins C and A; minerals, especially electrolytes; and phytochemicals. (Phytochemicals are natural chemicals that plants create to protect themselves from the environment, disease and predators. They are most abundant in colorful fruits and vegetables and are interesting from a health perspective because of their antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties).
Gut health: Drinking vegetable juice and eating fruit first thing in the morning improved my digestion noticeably in that it relieved the constant bloating I was experiencing. I later learned that eating fruits and vegetables can protect colonic gastrointestinal health across a spectrum of symptoms; can promote long term weight management, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome; defend against colorectal and lung cancers; improve odds of successful aging; reduce the severity of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and enhance psychological well-being and lower the risk of depression.¹

Energy: Fruits contain natural sugars that break down into glucose and can be used quickly for energy by the body so I feel light on my feet, and the fiber and antioxidants sustain energy levels and keep my blood sugar levels stable. And, fruits are packed with nutrients and minerals that provide energy. Oranges, for example, contain vitamin C, which can help reduce oxidative stress and prevent fatigue.
Immune system boost: Your body uses and absorbs nutrients more efficiently when they come from whole food sources like fruits and vegetables, rather than processed foods or supplements. Chronic systemic inflammation can lead to reduced life span because it increases the prevalence of various diseases like obesity, diabetes, and some cancers. The ability of fruits and vegetables to protect against the development of these chronic conditions is well documented. The literature, including this meta analysis suggests that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables decreases inflammation and enhances immune cell populations.
Balance and calm: Drinking fresh green juice and eating fruit helps me feel balanced, calm and clear-headed. It keeps me satiated, confident and positive. I've heard people say that there's too much sugar in fruit, but hopefully, after reading this page, you'll realize that the package includes fiber, antioxidants and micronutrients that actually make fruit one of the most balanced foods of all.
Deliciousness: Some days, I just say to myself, "This piece of fruit is just so crazy good. What could be better?" I look forward to summer fruits the most but love fruits from every season. There are so many and they are all delicious in their own specific ways. There's never a dull moment appreciating the deliciousness of fruit.

Fruits and vegetables from the Farmers Market in late August

How and Where to Buy Fruit

Fruits are best when allowed to ripen on the vine or tree and then sold and eaten within days. That's also when their flavor and nutrition are at their peak. Here are the steps I've taken to find, store and enjoy the best.

Adjust your expectations when buying fruit at the supermarket: When I shifted to eating more fruit, at first, I didn't think twice about buying it at the supermarket. But, over time, I found that too often the fruit I bought was spoiled, flabby, or lacked the vibrant taste fruit should have, among other disappointments. I did my research and learned that fruits and vegetables grown for distribution to supermarkets is bred to be picked before they're ripe and ripened with chemicals in climate controlled warehouses. They're bred to resist pesticides, insects and disease and to withstand the rigor of being shipped long distances without bruising. They are not bred for flavor.
Shop at your local farmers market or a local family farm: At first, I wasn't sure where else to buy produce so I started to research and learned about farmers markets, local family farms and Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA) programs. When I learned about farmers markets, I found the ones near me and visited the ones within a 15 minute drive.
- It was a whole different world of produce. Farmers and vendors display seasonally fresh fruits and vegetables picked within days in varieties I had never seen before. Strawberries that burst with flavor. Cherries and stone fruits that popped with that mouthwatering tang followed by the flowery sweetness. Crisp melons in all sorts of colors and flavors. And so much more. The farmers bring whatever is fresh every week so it's a constantly rotating set of beautiful produce, unlike the market where they have the same basic set of options all year round.
- Now, shopping at the farmers market takes planning. I'll be writing more about how I learned to streamline the experience. It is a totally different way of shopping and requires some strategy and some tools.
Buy only as much as you can eat in 3-5 days: When you purchase really fresh fruits and vegetables that have not been sprayed with pesticides and are picked ripe, they are perishable because they are living tissues with a high water content and are constantly changing after harvest.
Prepare fruit for storage to extend freshness: Because fruits and vegetables are moisture- and nutrient-rich, they are exactly the type of natural environment on which bacteria love to feast. There are a few easy steps I learned to extend the life of produce.
- Keep produce dry: Wipe away noticeable dampness before storing and check daily.
- Keep produce cool: Refrigeration is one of the most effective ways to extend the shelf life of produce. The cold temperature slows the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms that can cause spoilage. Make sure that the temperature of your refrigerator is between 35°F and 38°F (1.7°C and 3.3°C).
- Store fruits and vegetables separately: Fruits and vegetables produce different gases that can accelerate the ripening process and cause spoilage. Some fruits and vegetables, such as apples, bananas, and potatoes, emit ethylene gas, which can cause other fruits and vegetables to ripen and spoil more quickly. To prevent this, store ethylene-producing fruits and vegetables separately from other produce.
- Don't cut until you're ready to eat: Do not wash your fruits and vegetables or cut them up until you plan to eat.
Check out this interactive food storage guide. I've found it hugely helpful in extending the life of my fruits and vegetables!