When I was going through my weight loss journey and now as I train, I find myself getting hungry sometime in the middle of the afternoon. Having a fruit snack container in my office or fridge is a great low-calorie way to fulfill my craving. The great thing about this is you can vary it however you want. I personally like to always have grapes and then I add other fruit that stores well in the fridge for a week. I don’t add bananas to mine because I find they don’t store well in the fridge, and I eat one every morning to make sure I get my potassium. I really enjoy adding pineapple, oranges or kiwis to my container. I always use fresh fruit for this, but I’m sure canned will work. Do what is best for you and your budget. I tend to choose fruit, and the amount, based on the cost. Again, do this based on what you like.
My favorites per container (I usually do 1 or 2, occasionally 3, fruits during each weekly prep):
- 30-40 grapes (I always have these. I adjust the amount based on cost)
- 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks
- 1 kiwi peeled and sliced
- 1 naval orange
- 2-3 mandarin oranges (cuties)
- 1 apple cut (add a splash of lemon to keep them from browning over the week)
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 4-5 large strawberries
- Use others you may like. I stick to what is familiar to me.
Directions:
Soak your fruit like grapes, strawberries and blueberries in water and a few tablespoons of vinegar to remove bugs and clean. Slice fruit that you want sliced or chunk pineapples, kiwi, apples or strawberries. Cut navel oranges so they fit in the container. Fill the container so that the fruit fits and add to the fridge. I have found that the fruit will last for up to a week, depending on how ripe they were when you prepped.
I tend to have grapes, strawberries and blueberries leftover. You can add them to a freezer bag or container and freeze them for a couple of months. I use blueberries a lot, so I will take the leftovers and store them in a pint canning jar for up to a week or longer in the fridge. Before they get too ripe you can move them to the freezer, but put in a freezer safe container. The frozen fruit is great for smoothies. Frozen bananas make a great base for many recipes. I eat frozen grapes directly out of the freezer and have found that my nieces and nephews love them that way.
Mix and Match! And Enjoy!