Healthy Diets - Eat Fruit Keep Healthy

Take advantage of these tips and feed your family well, but in a cheaper way.

1. Always store fruit correctly. In a bowl on the sideboard or table is not necessarily the best place.

Apples and berries should always be stored in the fridge. Our Gardening Diary will show you how to grow your own berries in a minimum of space.

Bananas should never be stored in the refrigerator otherwise the skins will turn black.

Citrus fruits can be kept at room temperature unless it is very, very hot.

2. If you live in or near the countryside take advantage of ‘food for free’. You can pick blackberries, damsons, sloes, sweet chestnuts, cob nuts etc. Put the soft fruit in a plastic container while you are collecting them and the nuts need to go in a paper bag. Always store the nuts in a paper bag or in an open dish. Take a walk in the country and bring home your own particular harvest of free food for your healthy diet. What better way to save money?

3. When making damson jam, cook the fruit with the required amount of water. Then just pour the mushy liquid through a colander, this easily removes the stones. Add the sugar to the mushy liquid and proceed as normal to complete your jam recipe. Thanks to Boris Johnson of The Daily Telegraph.

4. If you have loads of windfall apples Turn them into apple puree. Wash in salted water and quarter them, cut out any insect damage or bruising. It is not necessary to remove the pips etc. Put these apples into a pressure cooker with just sufficient water to cover the base of the pan. Bring to 15 lbs. pressure. If you are using an electric cooker, switch off the hob and leave the pan in situ to finish cooking on the residual heat. This puree can also be cooked in an ordinary saucepan and on a gas hob, but will take longer.

When cool push the ‘mush’ through a nylon sieve with a wooden spoon. Freeze the puree in small plastic containers. This is first class during the winter when served on the top of hot porridge. No added sugar, just the goodness of the apples – a tasty meal to start the day. This is really cheap food. Apples rescued from the ground and that would have otherwise rotted away and all added to a healthy diet!

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5. Another way to use this apple puree is as the basis of apple sauce to be served with pork dishes. It can also be incorporated into cake recipes. This healthy diet business can be fun! 6. To save wasting lemons, slice them, place on a plate and flash freeze. When frozen, remove from the plate and store in a clear plastic bag. Use these for cold lemon drinks, garnishes on fish, hot lemon drink for treating a cold adding a spoonful of honey and maybe a small tot of whisky if you like it, etc. This way you always have a ready supply and no wasted lemons are left mouldering in the fridge.

7. Put left over lemons cut into small pieces in a jug, cover with ample hot water. When cold, store the jug in the fridge. This way you always have a refreshing cold drink to hand. Good food, cheap food, good healthy diet! 8. Health Experts advise the best way to start the day is a hot lemon drink before you have anything to eat. They maintain it wakes up the system.