#FitFruitFriday - Healthy Eating Food Swaps

We've been experiencing some more than decent weather here in London and May Day Bank Holiday is approaching fast (Hurrah!) But it's made all of us here at your favourite office fruit supplier pretty wary of our bikini bodies. Here's our favourite food swaps to help us fight the cravings, keep down calories and have us all looking less apple and pear shaped (but just as delicious!)

Swap Chips                             For Sweet Potato Fries

Photo Credit: DSebourn via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: stevendepolo via Compfight cc

Chips (or French Fries) are the ultimate comfort food but while you are loving the taste they are hating your body! With around 350 calories for a medium serving, you're much better off with angelically light (and amazing tasting) baked sweet potato fries that barely weigh in at 180 calories.

Swap Jelly Sweets            For Dried Cranberries

Photo Credit: Juan Antonio Capó via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: snehroy via Compfight cc

Both are sweet treats but only one is packed with natural sugars, fibre, antioxidants and count as one of your five - or seven! - a day. (If you haven't guessed which one yet, you should be chowing down on cranberries)

Swap Sugary Cereal            For Fruit Topped Porridge

Photo Credit: MD Anderson's Focused on Health via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: tavopp via Compfight cc

Most cereals boast wholegrain nowadays but they keep quiet about their sugar content and how they'll only keep you full for about an hour or so - just in time for you to succumb to elevenses! However, oat porridge is a great source of fibre and protein which will keep you going until lunchtime and beyond. Easy to prepare at work in the microwave, just top with fruit - anything from berries to bananas - from your office fruit supplier and you've enjoyed a serving or two of fruit before 9am!

Swap Orange Juice              For Whole Oranges

Photo Credit: Mervi Eskelinen aka tasselflower via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: cobalt123 via Compfight cc

You may be thinking: "Fruit for the Office, aren't these the exact same thing?" Definitely not! When oranges are squeezed into juice they lose almost all of their filling fibre but retain all of the sugar, leaving you with a high sugar beverage with barely any of the goodness. Solid food as well as chewing will also help you feel a lot fuller than if you drink your fruit.

Swap Yoghurt Pots        For Greek Yoghurt with Fruit

Photo Credit: SimonQ錫濛譙 via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: Cascadian Farm via Compfight cc

Don't be drawn in by fancy packaging and promises made by Gok Wan adverts - low-fat yoghurt pots touted as a godsend by dieters are often hiding some dirty secrets - most notably sky-high sugar content and added ingredients. Greek yoghurt is so much better for you as long as you choose a low-fat and low-sugar variety, which almost always comes naturally but be wary of some brands and check the nutritional values and ingredients. It's filling, good for you and can be topped with so many varieties of fruit, our favourites at Fruit for the Office being honey and banana or strawberry and blueberry. Greek yoghurt (or natural yoghurt) also comes in big tubs so it's normally more cost-effective than buying multipacks of often psuedo-healthy yog pots!


Tweet us @office_fruit and let us know your favourite healthy food swap and we'll be sure to retweet you! Or leave us a comment below and we may feature your favourites on another of our blogs.

#FitFruitFriday - Best Pre and Post Workout Snacks

Nothing can derail a fitness regime faster than eating the wrong foods. From filling up on high-sugar energy bars to overindulging after your workout, there's plenty that can go wrong when fueling or refueling. Here's our easy list of healthy, easy snacks to enjoy and keep you going both before and after your workout.


Pre-Workout (Enjoy 30 to 60 minutes before any exercise)

• Fruit with Cottage Cheese: Try 150g of low-fat cottage cheese with fresh berries, sliced apple, raisins or even pineapple!
• Dried Fruit: Make sure it's no added/low sugar
• Peanut Butter with Apple: Slice up one medium apple and dip into 2 tbsp of low-fat peanut butter
• Fresh Fruit Salad
• Peanut Butter and Banana on Wholemeal Toast: 1 to 2 tbsp of peanut butter with 1/2 a medium sliced banana
• Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter: Dip celery into 2 tbsp of low-fat peanut butter
• Turkey Lettuce Wrap: Cooked turkey breast, onion, tomato and mustard (optional) rolled up in a large lettuce leaf
• Fruit and Nut Bar: Make sure it's low fat and low sugar
• Berry Smoothie: Blend ice with frozen berries and a scoop of protein powder - add skimmed milk for thickness

Post-Workout (Enjoy within two hours of finishing your workout for optimal muscle/tissue rebuilding and energy restoration)

• Peanut Choc Banana Smoothie: Blend 1 sliced medium banana, 250ml low-fat chocolate milk and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
• Tuna on Wholemeal: Mix drained tuna (in spring water or brine) with chopped cucumber, tomato and/or onion and spread on a slice of wholemeal bread
• Apple and Cheese: 1 Medium sliced apple with a small stick of low-fat cheese
• Cereal and Milk: Medium bowl of high-fibre/low-fat/low-sugar cereal with skimmed milk (garnish with fruit if desired)
• Yoghurt and Berries: Low-fat plain yoghurt garnished with plenty of berries in guaranteed to hit the sweet spot
• Nuts and Raisins: A small handful of nuts and raisins or other dried fruits will satisfy both savoury and sweet cravings

Let us know in the comments if you have any other workout snacks to share! And remember to stay hydrated before, during and after your workout with plenty of water!

Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - Healthy Paleo Protein Pancakes Recipes

Photo Credit: foodpr0n.com via Compfight cc

At Fruit for the Office HQ, it's unanimous that pancakes are the best of the best when it comes to breakfast food.

And we're not talking about those thin, flimsy crepe pancakes - oh no - we're dreaming of their big, chunky, fluffy, melt-in-the-mouth American counterparts. 

Of course, these babies have had to sit tight in our subconscious as our new years resolutions put such delicacies on an indefinite hiatus.

But this was until we discovered the wonderful world of paleo pancakes: pancakes which are good for you and packed full of our favourite fruits. Control yourself, people, because we're about to share the secret to the world's best breakfast (Don't say we aren't good to you)

Lemon, Raspberry and Strawberry Pancakes

Photo Credit: avlxyz via Compfight cc

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups very fine ground blanched almond flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs 
• 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup raspberries
• 1/4 cup strawberries
• Butter or oil for frying

Method:

End of Three Fitness - Paleo Lemon Berry Pancakes Recipe

Banana Oat Pancakes

Photo Credit: Chanock Sanchez via Compfight cc

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cups milk (nut or dairy)
• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• butter or oil for frying

Method:

Beauty That Moves - Banana Oat Pancake Recipe

Apple, Banana and Cinnamon Pancakes

Photo Credit: *tamara* via Compfight cc

Ingredients: 

• 2 eggs, whisked
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1 peeled apple, diced small
• 2 tbs almond butter
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Butter or oil for frying

Method:

Paleo Newbie - Apple Cinnamon Banana Pancake Recipe

Paleo is essentially a low/no carbohydrate diet - also referred to as the caveman diet due to it's emphasis on cutting out processed food and grains.

It's really easy to stick to and has a huge focus on 5-a-day, so start hoarding the spoils from your office fruit box before the other fitness warriors in your office catch wind of your pancake plans...

Tweet us @office_fruit with your favourite fruit pancake toppings and we'll get searching for the perfect recipe for you! Also, let us know in the comments if you want some more fruity paleo recipes for other meals - we'd be happy to oblige once we've finished our third stack of pancakes.

#FitFruitFriday - Easy Detox Diet Fruit Smoothies

It's been just over a fortnight since we rung in the new year which means that just under a fortnight ago, you probably broke all your new year's resolutions!

The famous "lose weight/get fit" resolution is always the one to be broken first thanks to gloomy January weather confiding us to warm beds, hot desserts and running shoes stored behind rain boots.

But, a smoothie can be the perfect way to stick to your mantra in 2014! They're sweet, creamy and make your insides feel fantastic - which is more than you can say for that entire apple lattice you consumed because you were sure it would count for at least one of your 5-a-day.

All of these recipes can be made with items delivered by your office fruit supplier and a cheap hand blender - so they're easy and quick to make before work for a healthy commute breakfast or even in the office kitchen on your lunch break!

Also, if you're not a dairy person - be it for diet, taste or moral reasons - all the dairy products in these recipes can be substituted for the same quantities of soya milk/yoghurt, almond milk, coconut milk etc.


Strawberry Banana 
A sweet classic that'll remind you of a milkshake

• 1 banana
• 240ml skimmed milk
• handful of crushed ice
• 180ml low-fat yoghurt (try strawberry or vanilla flavour for extra taste)
• 6 strawberries

Peanut Butter Banana Berry

Packed full of energy, this breakfast treat will see you through till lunch

• 1 banana
• 120ml skimmed milk
• 35g blueberries
• 35g raspberries
• 1 teaspoon peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon honey

The Ginger Banana Heal-All

Ginger is known to cure nausea, heartburn and indigestion - the perfect drink after all those big meals

• 1 banana
• 180ml low-fat vanilla or plain yoghurt 
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Tropical Detox

With the work-out boosting addition of coconut water, this smoothie is great pre-gym

• 240ml coconut water (be sure to choose a variety with no added sugar)
• 240ml low-fat vanilla or plain yoghurt
• 140g fresh or frozen mango chunks
• 15ml fresh orange juice
• 2 handfuls crushed ice

Let us know your fit-friendly smoothie recipes in the comments below and you may see them in another edition of #FitFruitFriday!

Photo Credit: elana's pantry via Compfight cc

#FitFruitFriday - Healthy Fruit Breakfasts

Be it a chocolate-filled croissant with a large Frappuccino or the greasy temptation of a McMuffin, the commute to work can be a healthy eater's worst nightmare. Blame it on boredom or hormones for causing the cravings but the main culprit is always skipping a balanced breakfast. You may think skipping out on the most important meal of the day will help you onto the path of losing weight or that your cereal bar packed full of sugar will be enough to last you till noon but you couldn't be more wrong. Eating a great, fruit-filled breakfast keeps you fuller for longer and helps you on the path to looking and feeling your best. So, save yourself the money and the empty calories by giving to-go breakfasts the shove and start picking out the perfect porridge topping from your office fruit supplier.

• Porridge with fruit

Any type of fruit tends to go great with porridge, from blueberries and strawberries to bananas and raisins. If you're missing sprinkling sugar over your bowl of deliciousness then add a teaspoon of honey or add some cinnamon to perk you up.

• Fruit Salad

Needs no explanation - chop up whatever fruit you fancy from your office fruit box and scoff it down with whichever toppings you like. Easy peasy!

• Yoghurt with granola and fruit

Easy to whip up in a hurry and can even be enjoyed in a tupperware during the dreaded commute! Flavoured strained yoghurt or plain greek yoghurt always tastes the best with some sweet oaty granola. Here's our simple granola recipe that'll keep for a whole month:

1. Preheat oven to 150c/130c fan/gas mark 2
2. Mix 300g rolled oats, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 125ml maple syrup, 2 tbsp honey and 1 tsp of vanilla extract in a large bowl
3. Add any seeds or nuts you wish at this point e.g. sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds
4. Tip onto two baking sheets ensuring it is spread evenly
5. Bake for 15 mins then add any dried fruits or unsweetened coconut you wish.
6. Bake for a further 10-15 mins before removing and leaving to cool
7. Once cool, store in an airtight container, ready to be enjoyed!

• Cottage cheese topped with fruit

Whether it be flavoured, plain, low-fat or full-fat, just top it with any assortment of fruit you like, along with some nuts or seeds too - for a protein & fibre-filled crunch!

• Banana Cocoa Pancakes

The Healthy Foodie has graced our tastebuds with this these angelic but sinfully delicious chocolate pancakes. We've omitted the recipe for the sauce so you'll have to go to her for that but we assure you it's just as delicious as you're imagining.

• ½ banana
• ½ cup coconut water
• ½ cup egg whites
• ½ cup spelt flour
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• A pinch of salt

1. Mix all ingredients together using a food processor
2. Coat a frying pan with cooking spray on a high heat
3. Pour a dollop onto the pan and once little bubbles form on the top, then flip.
4. Cook other side for approx 30 seconds then transfer to warm oven whilst you cook the rest
5. Stack them up and garnish with the low-fat chocolate sauce and raspberries/strawberries/bananas

What's your favourite healthy breakfast this new year? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @office_fruit with your most Instagram-worthy photos of your morning meal!

Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - What is a Persimmon and How Do I Eat it?

You may have noticed these orange delights tucked away inside your regular office Fresh Range delivery the past few weeks - and we've certainly noticed the emails asking us what they are and what to do with them!

But fear not, fearless fruit fighters, we're here to give you the knowledge you need to divide, conquer and consume these tasty treats.



First off, you might know them better as 'Sharon Fruit'!

Colloquially named after their homeland - the Sharon Plain in Israel - they are actually just a variety of Persimmon (much like types of apples, think Golden Delicious and Pink Lady!) that are really referred to in the fruit trade as the 'Triumph' variety.


They've become quite the popular produce too...

Word of their health benefits (heart disease fighting properties, double the dietary fibre of an apple and rich in beta-carotene) have spread and so their sales have more than doubled in supermarkets and green grocers over the past year. So, what kind of office fruit supplier would we be if we didn't provide you with the most up-and-coming, hotter than hot fruit, eh?



Need no more convincing? Then here's how to eat those perfect persimmons:

• Hachiya Persimmon (Acorn shaped)

- These are an astringent variety so if unripened they will taste bitter, sour and chalky!

- They need to be extremely ripe to be sweet, soft and ready to be eaten - so soft that the insides will feel like jelly and ready to burst from the skin!

- To eat them, slice them in half and use a spoon to devour the delicious flesh inside

• Fuyu Persimmon (Squat tomato shaped)

- These are non-astringent so they can be eaten when crisp, firm and barely ripened.

- To eat them, slice them into segments and eat like an apple.

- They can easily be peeled due to their firmness but the skin is edible.

Let us know in the comments or @office_fruit if you have more questions about these little orange stowaways in your office fruit delivery!

Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - Hot Apple Cinnamon Cider

The warm, inviting scents of spices and apples will make you want to embrace winter - especially when your curled up indoors with a cup of our delicious cinnamon cider.

Retrieve what's left of the apples from your office fruit delivery, make a big cup and consume with the heating turned up, the lights down low and in front of a good book - just what the doctor ordered. 

You'll Need:

• 1 litre of apple cider
• 6 apples - cored and sliced
• 70g brown sugar
• 4 cinnamon sticks (optional - 8 more for garnish)
• 2g allspice
• 2g whole cloves
• 5g lemon zest
• Cheesecloth (to wrap spices in)

What To Do:
- Mix the cider and brown sugar in a saucepan
- Wrap the cinnamon sticks, allspice, cloves and lemon zest in cheesecloth and place in the saucepan
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes
- Add apples and return to a very low heat for another 10 minutes
- Remove the bundle of spices
- Strain if necessary then either serve immediately in mugs with optional cinnamon stick garnish or store in a jug or jar in the fridge.

Tweet us @office_fruit with your idea of a perfect winter evening or leave us a comment here about which hot stuff you'd want to share this hot cider with...

Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - Great Tasting Green Smoothie Recipes



There's a new craze sweeping the Fruit for the Office offices - eating clean by drinking green!

Green smoothies may not look that appealing but once you've got your hands on that fresh new fruit box and you banged out the blender, you'll be realising that it is in fact easy being green. (Sorry, Kermit!)

And don't you worry, taste bud tyrants, you honestly won't notice they're even there! Eating your greens and tasting great?! The five year old you will be kicking themselves.

Green Power Workout Fuel

• One apple
• One kiwi
• One banana
• Handful of baby spinach
• Splash of water - more or less depending on how thick you prefer it!

Green Dream - Relax and Re-fuel

• Two apples
• Juice of two to three oranges
• Handful of kale
• Few sprigs of parsley
• Either medium fresh aloe vera leaf or a hearty splash of all-natural aloe vera juice (easy to find in Asian supermarkets!)
• Splash of water - depending on thickness and whether or not you used aloe vera juice

Green-a Colada 

• Eight to ten cubes of frozen pineapple
• Eight to ten cubes of frozen mango
• Two handful of baby spinach or kale
• Two to three tablespoons of natural yoghurt
• Two to three tablespoons of coconut milk
• Juice of two oranges
• Splash of water - again depends on how thick you like it!

Post Work Out Protein Potion

• Handful of spinach
• Handful of kale
• One banana
• Two tablespoons of no-sugar peanut butter
• Splash of plain (or vanilla for sweetness!) almond milk
• (Optional) Scoop of vanilla or plain protein powder 
• Water if you prefer it thin

Let us know @office_fruit about your favourite green smoothie recipes and even link us to your favourite recipes, we'll be sure to feature them in another post! 

And as always, leave us a comment below and tell us how much of a green goddess you feel after drinking all this liquid goodness!

Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - Fruit Leather Recipes for Perfect Lunch Box Snacks

The supermarket shelves are lined with school snacks but - surprise, surprise - they're all stuffed with sugar!

But this office fruit supplier is a Jack of many trades and one of them is healthy (and easy peasy) recipes to keep you and your sprogs healthy, happy and looking forward to their five a day.

So here's a few of our favourite takes on this lunch box favourite that tastes even better and are much better for you. (So much so that you might even be sneaking a few out of the kid's lunches!)


Strawberry Leather

• 300g apple (roughly two), peeled and cored
• 500g strawberries, stalks removed
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil

Directions can be found at The Guardian website!

Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - Sweet Treat Fruit Kebabs for Easy School Lunches

Nothing puts a smile on a child's face more than brightly coloured sweets. But there's also nothing that takes the teeth out of that smile quicker either!

Even when sticking to the cheapest fruit available from your office fruit supplier or with whatever's in season, it's easy to make a healthy and sweet treat look as appealing as possible.

So chuck away that chocolate and start skewering strawberries so that your kids can say goodbye to low concentration, tummy aches and sugar crashes and hello to their five a day.



Traffic Light

Strawberries

Orange Segments

Kiwi




Watermelon

Mango

Honeydew Melon





Sunset

Red Grapes

Watermelon

Mango

Cantaloupe Melon

Pineapple

Banana




Smurf

Banana
 
Blueberries

Banana

Blueberries



Rainbow

Cranberry

Strawberry

Cherry

Raspberry

Watermelon



Orange

Papaya

Mango

Cantaloupe Melon

Tangerine



Peach

Nectarine

Banana

Pineapple

Honeydew Melon



Green Apple

Green Grapes

Kiwi



Blueberries

Black Grapes


Blackberries

Raisins


Red Grapes

Plums




Let us know at @office_fruit how your kebab creation come along and let us know in the comments below if it won't just be the kids enjoying these at lunch time!





Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - How to Pick Perfect Blackberries

It's late August which means from now until mid to late September, it's perfect blackberry picking season.

"But, wait, office fruit company?! Why are you encouraging people to pick their own fruit?!" Well, concerned reader, not only is it healthy to get outside and enjoy the outdoors - which we're all about - but you're obviously going to need to some of our delicious apples to go with that blackberry crumble...
(Also, this vintage 'make do and mend' stuff is totally in right now, just go with it.)

So here's our guide to picking and storing those juicy black diamonds.

• Avoid low-hanging fruit

Pretty much anything from waist height down is a no-no. No matter where you're picking them from, be it a forest, a park, or the back of the garden - chances are some animal has cocked it's leg up on that bush. So always aim high!

• Be prepared

As a child, you'd be scrambling through the hedgerow on the side of the A12 with an empty tub of butter, trying to fill it to the brim. Well now you're an adult, so make sure you bring several containers as too many berries crammed together will result in a box of mush. No-one said you couldn't still scramble through the bushes though!

• Store them for your needs

Blackberries kept in the fridge can last 2-3 days, enough time to make and devour several pies - no problem. But if you've really picked too many, blackberries are easily frozen and can even be cooked straight from the freezer. You can even blend them into a puree then freeze for a variety of recipes!

Recipe Ideas

• Crumble
• Pie
• Coulis
• Smoothies
• Fool
• Jelly
• Gin Cocktail (The Bramble) (for the night-time pickings!)
• Pork
• Jam
• Venison!

Tweet us your favourite blackberry recipes at @office_fruit and also let us know if you'll be blackberry picking this year in the comments below!

Photo Credit: ~Shona Leah

#FitFruitFriday - How do you Get Rid of Fruit Flies?

There's nothing worse than waging a fruitless war against those pesky constantly-multiplying flies. Whether your office fruit is stored in the kitchen or in a reception display, these unsightly pests are not what you want to see buzzing around your delicious, fresh fruit!

So, as a duty to our valued customers from your favourite London office fruit supplier, we've listed our favourite tips and tricks to keep these annoyances at bay.

• Don't put fruit or food waste in your waste paper basket

Always throw away any fruit peel or waste into a refuse or compost bin. If you're being lazy and throw it into your paper bin by your desk, it'll end up making the bin smell as it doesn't have a liner. This will then attract pests even when the waste is removed due to the smells and bacteria.

• Always check the fruit bowl regularly for rotten fruit

Rotting and overripe fruit will not only attract flies but it will speed up the rotting process for the rest of that delicious fruit you're storing - which in turn will attract even more flies!

• Replace cleaning equipment

The nasty little things are also attracted to dirty houseware such as dish clothes, mops and sponges. Make sure to replace them regularly and don't leave any old mop water in the bucket!

• Clean out all your bins

Whether it's the refuse bin or the recycling bin, sticky and sweet leakages can happen in both and are great attractants and breeding grounds for fruit flies. Make sure to clean the insides of bins with anti-bacterial spray or hot soapy water regularly. 

• Think about what your pouring down the sink

The flies aren't just flying above ground, they're laying low too. Pipes and drains are great breeding grounds, especially after all that excess food you and your colleagues have poured down the sink is festering there. Reduce how much organic matter goes on a trip down the drain and be sure to regularly use drain cleaner and hot water in the plug hole. 

• Make a jar trap

If all else fails, catch them! Take a jar and either pour some apple cider vinegar in or place a piece of over-ripe/rotting fruit in. Then nick a sheet of A4 from the printer and make it into a cone shape, with the narrower edge inside the jar. The fruit flies will be able to enter but not leave! Release them outside fairly far from the office once you've caught them.

Tweet us @office_fruit and let us know if these tips and tricks have helped keep your office fruit fly free!

Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - Back to School? Break the Kids Unhealthy Summer Holiday Habits!

Copyright Mollypop under Creative
Commons Licence

After a summer of eating out, ice cream vans and BBQ burgers, kids are hardly going to want to get back on the green stuff, especially at horrible ol' school! But try out these 5 easy tips to get your kids back on 5-a-day! Now they can be just like their mums and dads eating up their office fruit in a flash.

1. Get Rid of the Junk Food - You're the boss of the house and no matter how much you push fruit and veg onto your kids, they're hardly going to want it when they know the cupboard is stocked full of crisps, chocolate and biscuits. Lower the amount you buy and don't treat junk food as a treat they will receive if they eat all their greens, it will only encourage the child to think that fruit and veg is a punishment - try giving fresh strawberries or pineapple fingers as an after-school treat rather than a chocolate bar.
2. Persevere - If you haven't started your children on fruit and veg from a young age, it's really unlikely they're going to enjoy it straight away. Keep serving up veg at dinner and fruit in their lunchbox, eventually they'll eat it and hopefully enjoy it soon enough! But of course, not everyone enjoys the same taste so if your kids are adamant after the 20th helping of brussel sprouts that they hate them, maybe it's time to try something else!
3. Make it Fun - Kids are more likely to eat something if it looks more appealing so try cutting up fruit and veg using cookie cutters into fun shapes or arrange different pieces on a plate to make it look like a face or an animal. This can also work with sandwiches and pizza by giving your child different coloured veg, letting them decorate with it and then they can enjoy their hard work afterwards!
4. Change the Way You Serve it - Not everyone enjoys the texture or taste of different fruits or vegetables and neither do your children. With fruit, try blending them into a smoothie, freezing bananas or berries as a cold treat or make fruit sandwiches. With veg, blend them into a soup, serve raw with dips or just try different ways of cooking e.g. mashed, boiled, roasted etc.



Copyright Vivevans under Creative
Commons Licence

5. Grow Your Own - There's nothing better than watching your hard work come to fruition and if you let your children grow their own fruit and veg, they'll be more than willing to tuck in. Some of the easiest plants to grow include beans, peas, courgettes, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, apples, blackberries and cress.

How do you get your children to eat their 5-a-day at school? Tell us in the comments below!

#FitFruitFriday - Non-Alcoholic Fruit Mocktails

There's so many reasons to celebrate with cocktails - a birthday, a work do, a night out with the girls but how about the last day of school?

Why not get the kids get in on the celebration and enjoy some easy-to-make and delicious-to-drink mocktails when you get home from work tonight? All the fruit you need to garnish and flavour the drinks are available from your office fruit supplier and are always fresh and delicious.

These drinks will start their summer off special and we promise they taste good enough that you could serve them at your next office do (with or without a secret splash of gin...)


Sun on the Beach

• 3 parts lemonade
• 3 parts orange juice
• 3 parts cranberry juice
• 4 ripe peaches - 2 blended into a puree and mixed with the other liquids and the other 2 sliced and added to the jug as decoration

Diddy Daiquiri

• 1/2 lemon - juiced
• 2 parts pureed strawberries
• 1 part cranberry juice
• 3 parts pink lemonade
• lots of crushed ice
• sliced lime for decoration

Appletini-weenie

• 4 parts apple juice
• 1 part lemon juice
• 1 part simple syrup (heat equal parts sugar and water until the sugar has dissolved)
• sliced apple for decoration

Let us know in the comments how much you enjoyed these hangover-free delights and give us any of your favourite booze-free variations of a classic cocktail!




Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - Chill Out with Fruit! PART THREE: Fruit Ice Cubes

This weekend is looking to be even warmer than the last so we thought we'd get even cooler with the third and final part of our Chill Out with Fruit series! 

Even the thought of ice cubes clinking around in a cold drink on a hot day makes us wish 5pm would come sooner but the thought of ice cubes melting in the summer sun and watering down our delicious beverage? Well, that's just the most horrendous thought ever and we apologise for making you have to imagine it at all. 

But what if we, your London office fruit supplier, told you that ice cubes made of fruit could solve all of your diluted drink problems?! (because, really, who else would tell you about it and be THIS enthusiastic about it?)

Here's our favourite fruit ice cube recipes and what beverage best to enjoy them with. Cheers!

Juice Cubes

Freeze your favourite fruit juice in a ice cube tray.

Perfect with: 

• Fruit juice - try a complimentary juice rather than the same e.g. raspberry juice cubes in cranberry juice or pineapple juice cubes in orange juice
• Cocktails - either alcoholic or non-alcoholic e.g. an orange and cranberry juice cubes in a Sex on the Beach
• Sangria - Orange or lemon juice cubes will keep that jug tasting perfect from beginning to end
• Cola - A lemon juice cube will give it the twang it needs whilst keeping it cool
• Sparkling water - Just to add a touch of flavour

Frozen Fruit

Pop sliced pieces of your favourite fruit into the freezer

Perfect with:

• Smoothies - Ready to be blended up for a sweet treat in a hurry
• Cocktails - Gives it a decorative and professional touch (and a snack at the bottom of the glass!)
• White Wine - Add frozen white grapes to chill a glass of wine without compromising any of the flavour and adding a touch of decadence to an outdoor dinner party

Purees and Yoghurts

Freeze some fruit puree (or mashed up fresh fruit) or fruit yoghurt

Perfect with:

• Slushies - Take a look at last week's post and you can use your puree cubes to make fruit slush!
• Smoothies - Throw the yoghurt cubes in the blender with fresh fruit and you can make an ice cold smoothie in the blink of an eye
• Daiquiris - Technically a slush but if we're able to make an alcoholic drink quicker then sign us up!

Let us know in the comments which of these you'll be trying on this gorgeous weekend and feel free to leave your ice drink suggestions below!

Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - Chill Out with Fruit! PART TWO: Ice Slush Recipes

I'm sure you'll all staring at the clock in the corner of your screen rather than this blog but we here at Fruit For the Office have some recipes you need to feast your eyes on as they're sure to make your warm weekend go down a treat!

Fruit Salad Slush

What You Need:

• 2 large bananas, sliced
• 120ml lemonade
• 6 ripe peaches, peeled and diced
• 1 can (approx 550g) of crushed pineapple (alternatively buy cubed and crush yourself)
• 250g caster sugar
• 240ml orange juice concentrate
• 200g red grapes, halved

What To Do:

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse until combined
2. Place in a covered container and freeze for 7-8 hours
3. Remove from freezer 1-2 hours before serving and mash slightly with a fork so that the mixture becomes slushy

Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - Chill Out with Fruit! PART ONE: Ice Lolly and Popsicle Recipes

The weather's been up and down for ages now but (despite the 10 minute torrential downpour we had here at Fruit for the Office HQ yesterday) the sun is out, the temperature's rising and things are looking up!

However, if you're anything like us pasty office dwellers, we need cooling down when things are heating up outside. But when the sun is shining in on us from the window we also need something that'll cheer us up and take our mind of the fact that while we type away there are some lucky so-and-sos on a beach somewhere...

So enter, the sweet treats that'll see you (and your buff beach bod) through the summer - and through to 5pm...

Fruit and ice.

Sounds too simple, right? Wrong!

Over the next few weeks we'll be treating our lovely readers to a great variety of fruit and ice recipes that will keep you hydrated, healthy and happy!

AND if that wasn't enough, they can all be made using the fruit that - if you're lucky enough to be getting our office fruit deliveries - can be found in your box!
Aren't we so good to you?




Berries and Coconut Cream (A Dairy-Free Dream!)

What To Get:

• Ice lolly/popsicle moulds 
• Blender or food processor
• Freezer
• As many frozen berries or cherries as you like (just freeze your fresh Fruit For the Office berries or cherries overnight!)
• 500ml or 1 can of cocount milk - easily found in most supermarkets (we prefer the fresh stuff found in the dairy aisle!)
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of honey

 What to Do:

1. Pop your fruit into your blender or food processor, give it a good whirl until pureed then set aside in a seperate bowl
2. Blend together the coconut milk, vanilla extract and honey - also set aside
3. Pour carefully and layer the two mixtures equally in each mould - starting with two teaspoons of puree, then two teaspoons of coconut mixture and so on until each mould is about 90% (or enough to safely get the tops or sticks in)
4. If you desire a fancy looking swirled effect (and who doesn't?) then pop your teaspoon into each of the moulds and slowly drag upwards to the top once or twice
5. Gently(!) tap your moulds on your counter to remove any trapped air bubbles
6. Leave in the freezer for at least 6-8 hours before serving

 Frozen Fruit Salad

What to Get:

•  Ice lolly/popsicle moulds
• 1 peach - cut into approx 1cm slices
• 450ml white grape juice or apple juice (make sure the variety you choose is clear not cloudy to ensure the best looking lollies)
• 90g blueberries
• 110g strawberries - hulled and cut in half
• 2 kiwis - peeled and cut into 1/2 cm round slices

What to Do:

1. Arrange the fruit equally in the moulds, making sure it is packed quite tightly together
2. Pour the juice into each mould to cover the fruit - leaving some room for the mould top or stick
3. Very gently tap the moulds to remove air bubbles
4. Leave in the freezer for at least 6-8 hours

Let us know in the comments which of these recipes you'll be making first and we'll be back next week with more fruit and ice treats!





Photo Credit: | 1 |

#FitFruitFriday - Fruit Scented Nail Polishes

There's nothing better than a nice manicure to brighten up your Friday and as Summer has hit, we here at your London office fruit supplier are aching for this season's most bright and colourful shades to perk up our pinkies!

But we found something that made us go completely ga-ga: Fruit scented nail polishes! We had to buy them all up and now our office smells even more fruity than usual (and we can take the scent with us wherever we go!)

Take a look below at some of our favourites:

Model's Own Fruit Pastel Scented Nail Polish

Review and Photos at Nail Candy 101

Fruity Scents:

• Pink - Strawberry
• Yellow - Banana
• Green - Apple
• Blue - Blueberry
• Lilac - Grape

Revlon Scented Nail Enamel

Review and Photos at The Dainty Squid

Fruity Scents:

• Pink - Raspberry
• Blue - Blueberry
• Purple - Grape

Let us know if you'd ever try a scented nail polish (we definitely recommend it, just make sure to not stick your finger to close to your nose - you might get caught in an embarrassing situation!)



Photo Credit: | 1 | 2 | 3