fruit

This awesomely creative recipe comes to us from Miles McMath, the director of Culinary Operations at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Since cancer patients often experience unpleasant side effects to their treatments and research has shown that well-nourished children have a higher ability to withstand infection and tolerate therapy, Chef McMath is tasked with engaging the hospital's little patients in the kitchen through hands-on cooking activities.

Click here to get the complete recipe for Good For You Fruit Sushi — it's composed entirely of fresh, nutrient-rich ingredients. Feel free to customize your menu by omitting some of the "condiments" and/or substituting the homemade fruit leather with its store-bought equivalent.

Source: Seth Dixon, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, BMC

Can't get enough fruit? While perfect on its own, fresh fruit also takes great in cereal, salads, with cheese, topped with yogurt, or in smoothies. Recently a friend forwarded me an article claiming that to fully reap the nutritional benefits of fruit, it should be eaten separately, on an empty stomach. Have you heard this too?

A basic theory of trophology, a nutritional philosophy on food combining, is that fruits should be eaten as separate meals. It's said that fruit digests at a faster rate and requires different digestive enzymes than other foods such as proteins or carbs. When consumed with these foods the digestion of fruit is delayed, causing it to ferment in your gut. Strict supporters of the food combining theory attribute digestive issues like upset tummy, indigestion, gas, and constipation to mixing your fruit with other foods.

But don't give up your peanut butter and banana sandwiches just yet! You can feel good eating your fruit in whichever way you please since there's no scientific research to back up this fruit philosophy. If you're having issues with digesting fruit, you could try eating it separately to see if your body handles it better, but in my experiences, if I eat an apple on its own, my stomach wages a full-on rebellion.

Tell me, do you prefer eating fruit alone or with other foods?

At farmers markets, vendors are just beginning to display normal-looking fruits with unusual names — pluots, plumcots, apriums, apriplums — that sound more like orbs of the astral variety than edible delights. So what are they anyway? Keep reading to find out.

Craving something crunchy and nutty but don't want all the calories and fat that come along with straight-up peanut butter? Here's a sweet low-cal alternative that's also high in protein (over eight grams per serving!).

This filling and fun-looking snack is great for a postworkout treat and is even sweet enough to satisfy your dessert cravings.

It's only 150 calories, so keep reading to see this simple snack recipe.

Although many diets suggest limiting fruit intake due to sugar and carb levels, fresh fruit is a low-cal source of antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber. That said, there are still ways that eating fruit can lead to unwanted weight gain. Keep reading to see which ways to avoid eating fruit when looking to lose weight.

Drinking It
A medium orange contains 62 calories and 3.1 grams of fiber. On the other hand, an eight-ounce glass of OJ will run you 108 calories and offer zero grams of fiber. Juice may be an easy way to take in vitamins and minerals, but it's usually high in calories and lacking in fiber. If you can't forgo that daily cup of juice, at least cut back on sugar by enjoying a blend of fresh-pressed fruit and vegetables.

Keep reading for two more ways eating fruit can lead to weight gain.

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. This week Shape turns to nutritional consultant Mike Roussell, PhD, for some help!

Q: Can I really eat as much fresh fruit as I want and still lose weight?

A: Unfortunately, no. Fresh fruit is a healthy choice and loaded with vitamins and antioxidants; however fruit still contains calories and carbohydrates. These are two things that can stop your weight-loss progress in its tracks if left unchecked.

Whether or not you should eat fruit while dieting has always been a controversial topic. The Internet is cluttered with articles claiming that eating fruit will make you fat, while more recently Weight Watchers has deemed fruit a "zero points food" as part of the Points Plus system, allowing dieters to eat all the fruit they want without it impacting their daily points total.

Which is correct? Is your daily cup of blueberries to blame for that extra layer of belly fat you can't seem to burn off? Or is it an innocent bystander in your quest for your ideal body? One of the reasons that fruit is so controversial is because it can be a double-edged sword. While fruit is a very nutritious food that should be included in a weight-loss diet, there may come a time when you will need to reduce or temporarily remove fruit from your diet to reach your goals. Let's take a closer look at both sides of this controversy.

Find out if fruit is good for a diet after the break!

Luscious, juicy, sweet-as-candy fruit is one of the healthiest foods you can eat. It's full of vitamins, fiber to keep you full, water to keep you hydrated, and the natural sugars make it a healthier alternative to sugary treats. You should aim to eat three to six servings of fruit each day, but if that seems like a lot, here are some ways to sneak fruit into your diet.

1. Add fruit slices to sandwiches. Sliced pear, apple, and watermelon add a unique texture and unexpected flavor to run-of-the-mill sammies.
2. Mix pureed fruit into plain yogurt. When comparing six-ounce containers of Greek yogurt, plain offers 18 grams of protein for 100 calories, and strawberry is 140 calories with 14 grams of protein. Instead of buying the premade flavors, make your own by adding pureed fruit to plain yogurt. You'll save money, avoid added sugars, and be able to customize the flavor to wow your taste buds with distinct combos like blackberry peach or strawberry pear.
3. Add fruit to baked goods. We've all made banana bread, but that's not the only fruit-based treat you can whip up. Lower the fat in just about any recipe by replacing oil with applesauce, or get creative with muffin recipes by adding diced strawberries, or mix bits of dried apricots into cookie dough.
4. Cut up fruit and store it in the fridge. It takes effort to wash and cut fruit, enough to make you reach for something easier (and less healthy) instead. Make fruit as accessible as a bag of chips by storing cut up fruit in containers in the fridge.
5. Eat fruit for dessert. Save calories and skip the refined sugars by enjoying nature's dessert. Here are ways to make fruit even more decadent and enticing — the almond butter and granola filled dates are one of my faves.