7 tips to eat more fruit for optimal health

You know the drill by now – for optimal health you should be aiming for three to five servings of fruit a day. It's not difficult, especially with these clever tips.

It's the ideal morning food, filled with natural, complex sugars for slow-release energy, fibre and nutrients galore. Cantaloupe, an orange, berries – all are perfect with whole-wheat toast, cereal or an egg.

A slice of watermelon, a peach, a bowl of blueberries – they're a delicious ending to a meal, and are so much healthier than cookies or cake. Like more sophisticated desserts? How does chocolate-covered strawberries, poached pears in red wine or frozen fresh raspberry yogurt sound? They count too.

Add 160 grams of fresh fruit, half a cup (125 millilitres) of fruit juice and two or three ice cubes to a blender and liquefy. That gives you two servings of fruit before 8 a.m. For a creamier smoothie, add 175 grams of plain fat-free yogourt. Substitute fruit sorbet for ice cream. One scoop contains up to one serving of fruit.

This could be at work, near your home computer or even in the television room. And keep five to eight pieces of fresh fruit in it at all times, such as bananas, oranges, apples, grapes or plums. Most fruit is fine left at room temperature for three or four days. But if it's out and staring at you, it's not likely to last that long.

Dried fruits are very portable and have a long shelf life. Take them to work, on shopping trips or even on vacation. Raisins and prunes are classic choices. Also try dried cranberries and blueberries, which are extremely high in phytonutrients, or dried apricots, which are chock-full of beta carotene. Other options include dates and dried figs, peaches, pears and bananas.

Once you're on the highway and cruising along, an apple or a nectarine tastes great and helps to break the tedium.

It will be your reward for getting to the midpoint of your chosen route.