Planning a grocery fruit list

Planning a grocery fruit list
Buying fresh fruit doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg when you plan in advance and follow a weekly grocery budget.

Fresh fruits are an important staple for good nutrition. The surgeon general recommends eating at least two servings of fruit each day for optimal health. Fruits are loaded with anti-oxidants that can track down and destroy free radicals in your body, thus helping to prevent disease. Moreover, fruit tastes good, is easy to prepare, and does not contain much fat or a high number of calories.

But fruit that is out of season can be expensive. That is why planning a grocery budget that includes sensible fruit purchases can help both your checking account and your body remain healthy. Here are some planning tips for your next grocery shopping trip.

1. Decide in advance which fruits you want to serve your family. Out of season fruits may be unavailable or too costly to purchase, so have alternatives in mind when you visit the produce section of the supermarket. Look for the sale items, like well-ripened bananas or newly-arrived oranges. Find recipes that use these in ways that will help you save time and money.

2. Consider alternatives. All of us would like to have our fruits of choice available year-round. But that isn't usually possible. If you're really hankering for strawberries in January, try the frozen variety and enjoy them over ice cream or pound cake. Or if you're daydreaming about fresh-picked blackberries, use the canned kind to make a pie. You'll enjoy all the nutrients and taste in a slightly different form.

3. Look for low prices. Search ads in the newspaper and on the Internet. Check the supermarket's window postings and the aisle labels. Get the best price on your fruits of choice, and adjust your grocery list, if you must, to switch a planned fruit purchase for one that is lower in cost or appears fresher in taste. Some supermarkets offer in-store discounts or sales, so watch for these as well.

4. Consider buying your fruit in a variety of forms. When occasional high prices or a poor crop eliminate your hoped-for fruit purchases, opt for the above-mentioned frozen and canned varieties. You can get them either in larger packages for families or smaller portion sizes for individuals. In addition, why not try dried fruit for a change? It's tasty, fun to eat, and very good for you, and we can't fail to mention that it is less expensive, in many cases. Dried figs, prunes, and raisins also travel well, so pack them for lunches or trips.

5. Don't forget to buy fruit juice. Look for the one hundred percent juice indication on the label. Fresh-squeezed orange juice or juice from concentrate provides valuable nutrients like vitamin C and foliate, for example. Avoid fruit drinks that contain a high amount of sugar rather than pure fruit juice. Fruit candies, cookies, and jellies often have very few nutrients but plenty of carbohydrates and sugar, so buy these sparingly.

Make fruit a substantial part of your grocery list. Plan ahead, budget wisely, and look for unexpected sales while trying new and different varieties. Fruit is the perfect snack and a wonderful complement to any meal.