Tips on adding more fruit to diets

Nature offers many sweet choices for eating well: juicy red cherries, plump purple plums, and orange, luscious tangerines, just to name a few. In fact, all fruits fit into a colorful and healthy diet.

Enjoy fresh fruits as they come: whole or perhaps sliced. They can be made into lively snacks, side dishes, desserts and meals. Here are 10 ways to reinvent and rediscover these sweet options.

Grilled fruit slices. Cut apples, pears or peaches into chunks, brush lightly with canola oil and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place on skewers or wrap in foil. Grill on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes.

Peach honey spread. In a bowl, add 1 sliced peach, 2 tablespoons honey and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mash with a fork until the mixture is the consistency of chunky applesauce. Serve as a topping for pancakes or French toast, or serve it over roast chicken or pork.

Lemon-lime fruit dip. Mix together 1/2 cup low-fat, sugarfree lemon yogurt, 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice and 1 teaspoon lime zest. Serve with pineapple chunks, strawberries, diced kiwi, sliced bananas and grapes.

Frozen fruity pops. In a blender, add sliced strawberries and bananas, 1/4 cup orange juice, and 3/4 cup low-fat strawberry yogurt. Blend until smooth. Pour into 2- to 3-ounce molds or paper cups with sticks placed in the centers. Freeze for 3 hours.

Romaine and fresh strawberry salad. Combine 2 cups romaine lettuce and 1/2 cup sliced strawberries in a bowl. Drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons raspberry vinaigrette dressing and toss well. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cashews.

Blueberry-banana smoothie. In a blender, add 2 fresh or frozen bananas, 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, and 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt. Blend until smooth.

Plum salsa. Mix together 1 cup chopped plum, 1 teaspoon dried cilantro, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, 2 teaspoons cider vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Serve with grilled chicken breasts.

Broiled fruit kebabs. Place cubed fruit, such as cantaloupe, pineapple, mango or honeydew, onto skewers. Place skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle with brown sugar. Broil until slightly bubbly on each side.

Berries a la mode. Place 2 cup berries, such as raspberries, blueberries or strawberries, in a baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/3 cup low-fat granola. Bake at 350 F until fruit is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Top each serving with 1/2 cup fatfree vanilla ice cream.