48 Easy Ways to Eat More Fruit {Amazingly Simple Tips, Ideas, and Recipes}

Looking for easy ways to eat more fruit? This blog post contains amazingly SIMPLE tips, ideas, and recipes to help you successfully increase your fruit consumption on the daily. Be sure to bookmark this page, save one of the graphics below to Pinterest for easy reference later, and/or share this with someone who would benefit from this knowledge.

Also: Eating more fruit is our March Health challenge, and you can join us for FREE here (click) AND get a free printable trackers to help you stay on track!

Medley of fruit
Fruit: you know you should eat it. But how much? And how can you make eating enough fruit easy and delicious? Read this post to learn how!

How much fruit should you eat anyway?

Before we jump in, you may be curious about how much fruit you should be eating anyway.

To know how much fruit you should eat, you need to know whether you should aim for servings or cups, how many to aim to eat, and what that may look like when it comes to actual fruit. Read on to learn more.

How much fruit should you eat per day? (Servings vs Cups)

Eat enough fruit servings. No, focus on the right number of cups of fruit!

Wait, what? Is it servings or cups?

If you’re confused about how much fruit to eat, you’re not alone. In my research, I saw both referenced. So let’s simplify things…

From my research, it appears that the focus on knowing how much fruit to eat has shifted from servings to cups more recently. For example the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans references how many cups to eat, while older research seems to reference servings.

My take is that servings are confusing. I mean what is a serving anyway? Whilst cups are easier to measure and understand.

I’m all about making things easy, so this is great!

How many cups of fruit should you eat per day?

The exact amount of fruit you should eat is bioindividual and unique to you. According to the USDA:

The amount of fruit you need to eat depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and level of physical activity.

But there are some general guidelines available. The USDA recommends most adults eat 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 cups as follows:

A Table for How Much Fruit to Eat Per Day

Learn more at myplate.gov here

What I actually do: I rarely measure my fruit. I aim to enjoy fruit throughout the day. It can be helpful to occasionally measure your fruit so you understand how much to eat for easier estimating later. But my main tip is to avoid letting perfect be the enemy of good. If you can only sprinkle a handful of cranberries on your salad, who cares if it’s exactly the right amount you should eat. The main key for success is to make an effort to include fruit in your daily eats and enjoy it!

So now you know roughly how many cups of fruit to eat, what is a cup of fruit?

How much is a cup of fruit?

According to MyPlate by the USDA:

In general, 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, or ½ cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the Fruit Group.

Since whole fruit contains a lot of water, you only need about half as much when you’re enjoying dried fruit.

What counts as fruit?

According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the following are some examples for fruit:

All fresh, frozen, canned, and dried fruits and 100% fruit
juices: for example, apples, Asian pears, bananas, berries
(e.g., blackberries, blueberries, currants, huckleberries,
kiwifruit, mulberries, raspberries, and strawberries); citrus
fruit (e.g., calamondin, grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges,
and pomelos); cherries, dates, figs, grapes, guava, jackfruit,
lychee, mangoes, melons (e.g., cantaloupe, casaba,
honeydew, and watermelon); nectarines, papaya, peaches,
pears, persimmons, pineapple, plums, pomegranates, raisins,
rhubarb, sapote, and soursop.

A note on fruit juice: according to the above guidelines, fruit juice only counts if it’s 100% fruit, so avoid any that are sugar-sweetened or have other ingredients if you’re aiming for a true fruit serving. A best practice is to use fruit juice as only one of your servings. Whole fruits are even better because you get the fiber. But fruit juice can be a helpful stepping stone to help you build momentum and adopt fruit consumption as a healthy habit.

What doesn’t count as a fruit serving

  • “Fruit” candy – I know some candy looks like it’s “fruit”, but many are actually fruit-flavored and contain no actual fruit. Be sure to read the packaging carefully. Your best bet is to aim for whole fruit.

***

Healthy Dragonfruit Smoothie Recipe
This is an easy way to enjoy fruit, and this smoothie is actually *naturally* pink! Get the recipe in the recipe section below. This is also fruit-sweetened, so there’s no added sugar.

7 Ideas for How to Eat More Fruit Every Day {Food Ideas}

Here are some easy ideas for busy people to realistically eat more fruit.

1. Add fruit to your oatmeal or granola at breakfast

Quick and Easy Yogurt Breakfast Bowl | Coconut Goji Berry Granola
This healthy breakfast is ready in just 2 minutes, and you can add as much fruit on top as you want!

Two of my favorite easy, healthy breakfasts are oatmeal and granola bowls. Both of these make it SUPER easy to add fruit to your meal because they serve as great base for fruit mix-ins and/or toppings.

Scroll further for full recipes, but here are some of my faves if you already know how to make oatmeal and granola.

Easy fruit mix-ins and/or toppings for oatmeal or granola:

  • Sliced or mashed banana
  • Chopped apple
  • Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • Strawberries
  • Blackberries
  • Cranberries
  • Goji berries
  • Goldenberries
  • Chopped dates

2. Have a side of fruit with your savory breakfast

Breakfast: fried egg, English muffin, fresh dragonfruit
Love eggs and toast? Add a side of fruit! Dragonfruit is actually really easy to eat since you just cut it in half and scoop the center out with a spoon to eat.

If you prefer savory breakfasts, you can easily add some whole fruit on the side like:

  • Whole / sliced apple
  • Orange slices
  • Whole banana
  • Mixed berry bowl
  • Pre-cut watermelon
  • Pre-cut pineapple
  • Dragonfruit half
  • Whole plum
  • Grapes

3. Have a smoothie as breakfast, a snack, or even dessert

Smoothies are such an easy way to eat more fruit because fruit is typically the star ingredient. You’ll find some easy and delicious recipes below.

My favorite smoothie fruits are:

  • Banana
  • Mixed Berries
  • Pineapple
  • Mango
  • Papaya
  • Frozen Dragonfruit (cubes or pouches)
  • Acai (frozen pouches)
  • Dates (I love to use these instead of sugar when I want to sweeten my smoothie)

Note: most of these are good fresh or frozen – those best frozen are noted above.

4. Add fruit to your salad

Watermelon Arugula Salad with Lime Vinaigrette Recipe
Watermelon is a refreshing and delicious salad topping

Sweet-savory combos are delightful in the form of salads. You can easily add fresh or dried fruits to many salad variations.

Some great fruit for salads are:

  • Sliced apples
  • Sliced or roasted pears
  • Watermelon
  • Pomegranate
  • Strawberries
  • Dried cranberries
  • Dried raisins

5. Have fruit with your snack

Snack time is a great time to enjoy fruit.

  • Enjoy some dried fruit and nut mix
  • Make a smoothie or smoothie bowl
  • Try oatmeal with fruit as a snack
  • Have some whole fruit with the rest of your snack components (like have a whole apple with some cheese)
  • Try banana on nut butter toast

6. Make a fruit-based dessert

Healthy Individual Apple Crisp Recipe
Enjoy this dessert and you’ll also be eating one whole apple!

It’s SO easy to make delicious and satisfying desserts that feature fruit.

Some of my favorite fruit-based desserts include:

  • Apple crisp (this recipe features one whole apple in a single serve dessert)
  • Smoothie / smoothie bowl (yup, I sometimes have smoothies or smoothie bowls for dessert)
  • Nice Cream (blend frozen bananas for an icy treat that tastes like ice cream!)
  • Use dates to sweeten your desserts instead of sugar

See the recipe section below for easy fruit-based dessert recipes.

7. Eat whole fruit:

Sometimes I find it helpful to focus on just eating *one* piece of whole fruit in a day (in addition to the other ways I’m enjoying fruit).

  • Try bringing a whole apple to work (easy to transport and eat)
  • Enjoy a banana at night (it’s said to help with sleep)
  • Aim to eat whole fruit with a meal or as a snack

***

7 Tips to Eat More Fruit

1. Keep your fruit visible

The whole “out of sight, out of mind” thing is so true. I’ve found that when my fruit is stored away, I tend to forget about it. Having a bowl with fresh fruit reminds me to eat my daily fruit.

Try getting a pretty bowl or platter for your kitchen and display some shelf stable fruit, like bananas, apples, pears, kiwis, and more.

2. Have easy recipes / ideas ready (see ideas above and recipe list below)

When you have go-to recipes and ideas ready, it removes the friction of having to figure out what the heck to eat. Write down some of your favorite ideas or make a list for your fridge you can easily reference.

3. Bring prepped fruit to work or school

When I started bringing fruit to work, my fruit consumption went up. I love taking a whole apple because it’s so easy to transport and eat. But whether you bring whole fruit or pre-cut fruit, being a little prepared can go a long way.

4. Buy precut fruit

Whole fruit is always better. And pre-cut fruit is harder to find in organic options. But progress is more important than perfection. Sometimes, it’s good to take some help from the store and let them do the work for you.

5. Find fruit you love and enjoy to eat

It can be a real chore to eat fruit when you don’t actually like it. So be sure to experiment and find what works for you. There are SO many delicious options out there. This can be a fun project to explore.

6. Experiment, play, have fun

In relation to the previous section, you can even try one new fruit per week or month and see what speaks to you at the grocery store or farmers market. Eating seasonally can be cool too because you can support local farmers and get (frequently) most nutrient dense produce.

7. Learn about the benefits of eating fruit to inspire you

Fruit is SO good for you. It can boost your energy better than coffee, help with your digestion, boost your brain power, and more!

Try googling “<your fruit of choice> benefits” sometime and learn about the wonderful things your fruit can do for you.

***

34 Easy and Health Fruit Recipes to Help You Eat More Fruit and Actually Enjoy It

As a busy working woman, I NEED healthy recipes that are not only delicious (so I actually eat them) but are quick and easy too!

Easy Fruit Dessert Recipes (Let Your Fruit Be the Star)

Healthy Breakfast Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
I converted the classic Strawberry Shortcake recipe into this breakfast-friendly version!

Easy Fruit Smoothies Recipes (Blend Your Fruit!)

Easy Fruit Smoothie Bowl Recipes (Blend Your Fruit!)

Mermaid Smoothie Bowl Recipe and How-To Video | Natural Colors
This Mermaid Smoothie Bowl is naturally blue!

Easy Oatmeal Recipes with Fruit (Mix in Your Fruit!)

Easy Granola Recipes (Top with Fruit!)

Easy Fruit Muffin Recipes (Baked Fruit for Breakfast!)

Easy Chia Seed Pudding Recipes (Layer in Your Fruit!)

Easy Fruit Cookie Recipes (Bake Your Fruit!)

Easy Salads with Fruit (Eat Efficiently – Veggies and Fruits In One Shot!)

Watermelon Feta Arugula Bites
These Watermelon Arugula Salad Bites are an easy showstopper for your next potluck or dinner party

Easy Fruit-Based Drinks

***

Summary

There are SO many delicious and EASY ways to eat fruit. With a little more intention plus some of the tips, ideas, and recipes from this post, you can easily eat your 1 1/2-2 1/2 cups of fruit per day. Whether you throw a handful of fruit into your oatmeal or bake a fruit-based dessert, you’ll find some fruit inspiration in this post.

Hopefully, you got some useful tips, ideas, and recipes to help you enjoy your daily fruit in style.

More Health Tips

Want to Lose Weight? Stop Restricting Food. Start Adding THIS.

It’s Never Too Late to Reclaim Your Health: A Personal Story about Everyday Bravery

Work Day in My Life: Balancing Consulting, Blogging, and Teaching Zumba

Popular Work Advice That Can Get You Health Results | Staying Healthy on Vacation

12 Healthy Foods I Eat Every Week | Clean Eating Food Ideas

***

Did you find this useful? Spread the love of joyful health and send this to a friend or loved one who would find it useful.

Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my post about Easy Ways to Eat More Fruit {Amazingly Simple Tips, Ideas, and Recipes}. Hope you found some useful pointers. Happy fruit eating!

Leave a Comment