Categories
Fruit Tips

4 reasons why this is a great gift these holidays

A bowl of fruits is the gift you need to make someone smile these holidays!

During the holidays some of us wonder what to give to our friends and family. There are so many options out there: electronics, clothes, shoes, gift cards, and so on. These are great options but we can be more creative when it comes to presents during the holidays. So, how about fruits?! Wow – that sounds like an easy task already, and it is!

Pomegranates, kiwi, oranges, and a large variety of pears are some of the examples of fruits from this season. Food is easily acceptable as gifts! Check out the 4 reasons why giving a bowl with beautiful winter fruits can be a go-to gift these holidays!

  1. It is easy to prepare a bowl with fruits. You can shop for fruits at your best local market, or you can order online at an online grocery store you trust to deliver good quality produce at your door. I trust my shoppers from Whole Foods, so I just order my fruits and veggies online to be delivered at the comfort of my home. Now all I need to do is to buy a bowl at the store or order it from any online shop. You just need to plan ahead so there is enough time for delivery and you can get the gift ready.
  2. Fruits of the season are healthier and more delicious. Your loved one would be so happy to receive a bowl full of delicious, sweet fruits! When buying fruits in season, it means that they were picked when fully ripened and consequently they taste delicious! Fruits in season also have better nutrition because the nutrients are fully developed once they are completely ripened.
  3. It’s fun to pick out the perfect bowl. Especially in today’s convenient online shop, we can find a large variety of the item we are looking for. You might be looking for a pink bowl because your friend likes that color, or you may think the bamboo kind fits better a family lifestyle. You may also think it’s just easier to have a holiday theme on it! Ideally, for a bowl of fruits, you should be getting a 10 to 12-inch size bowl. You can also wrap your bowl of fruits with a cellophane wrap and add a bowl for a final touch.
  4. Most people love fruits. You can’t get wrong with a bowl of fruits as a gift these holidays! Food items are not only useful, and in this case, fruits are always welcome, and shared too! Your loved ones can enjoy their favorite fruits and maybe share the not so favorite ones with other members in the house. The same goes for the bowl, it can always be a very useful item in the house. Depending on the materials it is made of, you can use it to help you cook in the kitchen or as a decorative item.
Gift these holidays
Gift these holidays
Categories
Fruit Crafts

How to make a green- looking dessert

How to make a green-looking dessert

How to make a green-looking dessert that includes chocolate!

Chocolate fondue can be healthy too! And making chocolate fondue is so easy! The food you need to dip in it can be super easy to make too, especially when all you need to do is cut fruits! Most fruits taste delicious with chocolate, but this time we decided to have an all-green-skinned fruit to dip in the fondue.

Eating green fruits is very important because they are not only full of vitamins and minerals,

but they also have phytochemicals, which have different proposed benefits for the body. More specifically, green fruits are beneficial to our eye health, our immune system, and digestion. But let’s get to it and learn how to make a green-looking dessert! We chose green apples and pears for this dessert, great for the Fall season!

Kiwi, green grapes, and honeydew are also other delicious green fruit options.

Start by adding your favorite chocolate bars into a pot on medium to low heat. You can also melt the chocolate gently in a barely simmering water bath. We use a 70 % dark chocolate bar, as well as a milk chocolate bar. By mixing both kinds, we are able to benefit from the dark chocolate and also to taste the creamy milk chocolate. You can also add half a cup of milk or cream to just the dark chocolate bar if you prefer. While the chocolate is melting, make sure the fruits are cleaned. You can cut them into medium size chunks or however you prefer to eat and serve to your guests. Make sure to leave the skin on the fruits. By doing that you will benefit from more antioxidants, as well as make a green-looking dessert!

Once the chocolate is melted, take it to the base of the fondue set to keep warm. But if you don’t have a fondue set, you can also keep the chocolate in a regular pot and take it to warm up on the stove once more as it gets cool. And if fruits are not enough, feel free to add pretzels, rice crispies treats, or another great snack that goes well with chocolate. Just remember to include some fruits to make a healthier and green-looking dessert!

Categories
Fruit Tips

How to boost your afternoons with one simple ingredient

Cucumber capsules – that is how you boost your afternoons!

How to boost your afternoons

Sometimes in the afternoons, we feel a little tired or sleepy, and we need a boost to wake us up and keep the day going! Therefore, we usually grab a cup of coffee, drink sugary drinks, or eat sweets, like a chocolate bar or cookies.

But if you are looking for something on the healthier side and that will give you the same results, eat cucumbers! My kids, for instance, love to eat them, any time of the day! They are sweet and good for you. Cucumbers have enough carbohydrates and B vitamins that will help you feel more energetic. Cucumber juice can also be very helpful!

Before watching the video on how to boost your afternoons by making our easy cucumber capsules check out our post on snacking on grapes. We should always make sure to have healthy snacks, like fresh fruits, available and ready to eat. Now let’s learn these easy steps on how to keep your cucumbers easily ready in the refrigerator for a boost of energy.

Cucumber Capsule by Lovely Mango

We hope that you enjoy this simple idea that can change your eating habits for the better! In addition, you can keep your Cucumber Capsules ready to consume for a couple of days in the fridge. But it’s best to enjoy them within 24 hours!

Categories
Fruit Benefits

Let’s get extra vitamins by snacking on grapes!

Let’s get extra vitamins by simply snacking on these sweet treats!

Vitamin A, Vitamin C! At my house, we simply get extra vitamins by snacking on grapes! After rinsing the grapes off, I lay them on a paper towel to dry. But before they are placed in the fridge…snacking begins! Every couple of minutes we keep stopping by the countertop to grab a few of them. This keeps happening for a while until we eat half of the grape bunch, then it’s finally time for them to go in the fridge!

Let's get extra vitamins by snacking on grapes
Let’s get extra vitamins by snacking on grapes!

Snacking on grapes, or any fruits and vegetables, are the best way to stay away from artificial, sugary snacks. Check out our article on how to boost your afternoons, simply by eating cucumbers!

You should store grapes in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Also, it’s good for you to know that the best way to eat grapes is when they are firmly attached to the stem. When I go to the grocery store, I take one grape off the bunch that I am about to buy to make sure they feel firmly attached to the stem. In addition, try getting organic grapes as they are part of the “dirty dozen“

For those who have small children, it’s recommended to cut a grape in half, or even in smaller pieces if they are younger than two years old. You should cut them lengthwise instead of widthwise so they can pass more easily through smaller throats.

Feel free to eat your grapes! They are fat-free and cholesterol-free. That is definitely a healthy snack that I recommend! So, let’s get extra vitamins by snacking on grapes! Besides its nutritional values, grapes are definitely a delicious option for those who enjoy a sweet treat!

Check out this cozy grapes pillow for your breakfast nook or family room in our boutique: Our Nook square pillow

Categories
Fruit Tips

Try eating grapefruit in a different way

Grapefruit in yogurt is delicious!

I often hear that eating half of a grapefruit a day is very good for our health. Well, in fact, one half of a grapefruit has about 34 mg of Vitamin C, nearly half of the recommended daily intake. You can benefit from eating grapefruit not only because it has lots of antioxidants, but also because its vitamin C helps maintain healthy skin, bones, and teeth, as well as our immune system.

In one of our blog posts, 8 fruits that will boost your immune system, we talk about the importance of fruits that makes you stronger for the winter season, grapefruit is one of them! Another important benefit of this citrus fruit is its amazing anti-inflammatory and bone-regenerating powers. This is because grapefruit is a rich source of naringin. But there is more to that. Narigin found in most citrus fruits can help you against all of these: atherosclerosis, cardiovascular problems, diabetes, neurodegenerative disorders, osteoporosis and rheumatologic illnesses. No wonder why we hear that eating half a grapefruit a day is so important!

Grapefruits are in season from Fall to Spring because they grow in different parts of the US with different climates. But you are able to find them year round at most grocery stores because they ship well due to their resistant peel. The longer grapefruits are left to ripen on the tree, the sweeter they get. So stay tunned when January comes around.

If you think grapefruits have a tart taste, try eating them with your favorite yogurt. It’s very simple!

Slice half of one grapefruit then cut around the perimeter. In a cup, add a little bit of yogurt then a couple of pieces of grapefruit. Repeat by adding the yogurt and the grapefruit one more time. My daughter Isabella thought this combination tastes sweet and delicious! We hope you enjoy it too!

Cut around the perimeter of the grapefruit slices
Add the slices in a cup with yogurt.

Enjoy it!

Categories
Fruit Crafts

How to make a fun snack out of a tangerine

TANGERINE FLOWER

This creation was done by my daughter Isabella! She was able to put this beautiful flower together, just by playing around with the tangerine before she started eating it. It’s a fun and easy idea to make for kids! Be certain that the Tangerine Flower will grab their attention more than just regular slices of tangerine laying on a plate or bowl. And you need to peel the entire tangerine anyways, so why not arranging it like this on a plate?! You can even add a few berries (or small grapes, or even a strawberry) at the center to make it look like a real flower!

You might already know this, but its important to reinforce that tangerines are full of vitamin C. A medium tangerine, weighing about 100 grams, has 26.7mg of vitamin C. You can also benefit from water intake as you eat this citrus fruit because it contains about 85% of water. Despite being a very refreshing fruit and appropriate for Summer, tangerines are in season from November through January. So if you want to enjoy them in season, you also get an extra boost of vitamin C during the cold weather.

So next time you are peeling your colorful, bright, full of water and vitamin C fruit, remember to make this easy and special arrangement! It will not only taste good, it will look delicious!

Categories
Uncategorized

A different way to eat bananas

How to get your kids to eat more bananas

Lovely Mango introduces: BBB, Baseball Banana Bites! These are delicious and very cute banana treats for your kids to enjoy!

Bananas help your muscles work better! So before your kids go outside to run and bike; or before practicing sports, like baseball, try making BBB! Watch the video below to learn how to make these sweet treats. They are very simple to make and you can try making them in your own way too!

Lovely Mango presents: Baseball Banana Bites

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/W90BBPoUZQg

Categories
Fruit Benefits

7 reasons why hydrating from watermelon can benefit you.

Get ready to learn why you should “drink” your water…melon!

As soon as we bite a slice of watermelon, we immediately taste its sweet water! Watermelon consists mostly of water, and because of that, there are several benefits to our health. Let’s take a look below at the 7 reasons why hydrating from watermelon can benefit you.

  1. Watermelon is 92 percent water. This means each time you bite on a watermelon, your body receives a great amount of water. That is why we call it water “melon.”
  2. Watermelon is considered a very healthy snack. Despite being mostly water with a bit of sugar, watermelon is also a good source of vitamin C, beta carotene, and lycopene. That is definitely a sweet snack that we can enjoy without feeling guilty! Visit our post on how to make fruit gifts out of watermelon.
  3. Our daily fluid intake is also defined by water consumed from foods. Not only drinking plain water and other beverages count in our daily fluid intake. The amount of water consumed from foods also plays an important role in hydrating our bodies. And given the amount of water found in watermelon, we can be certain that this fruit plays an important role in keeping up with our daily fluid intake.
  4. Water is the body’s main chemical component. Water makes up about 60 percent of our body weight. So we need to keep replenishing it in order to keep ourselves hydrated and healthy.
  5. The high water content in watermelon helps you feel full. The combination of water and fiber in watermelon – and other fruits and veggies – makes us feel satisfied. This means when we are eating watermelon, we eat a good volume of food without consuming a lot of calories.
  6. Eating watermelon benefits digestion. The combination of water and fiber found in watermelon are also important for healthy digestion.
  7. Sometimes we just need watermelon! Take advantage of hot weather or physical activity to replenish your body with water from watermelon. In those scenarios, you need to replenish your water intake anyways, so nothing better than a sweet fruit like watermelon to help you get the work done.

As I was finishing up writing this post, I was lucky to find the last slice of cold watermelon from the fridge to have as a snack. Now, it tastes even better once we know why hydrating from watermelon can benefit us!

Check out the Fully Hydrated Tank top by Lovely Mango on Etsy!

Categories
Uncategorized

Learn how to make a snack out of a melon

It’s time to make MarshMELON!

A marshmallow bite after a melon bite is a great combo to get your kids to eat fruits. You can make these easy kabobs for parties or anytime snacks. Melons are not only a great source of fiber and packed with vitamins, they are also low in sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

Even though marshmallows have no real nutritional value, they are cholesterol-free, fat-free and they are also low in sodium. That is why marshmallows are often used in certain foods to help boost the intake of healthy vegetables – for example, when marshmallows are added to sweet potatoes during Thanksgiving! But we should avoid eating more than a single serving of marshmallow which is about 28 grams – equivalent to 4 large marshmallows.

So when making our MarshMELON, you don’t even need to use a whole marshmallow between the cantaloupe or honeydew. Just cut it in half, and start alternating a cube size of your favorite melon, then one half of marshmallow, and repeat until the MarshMELON Kabob is ready!

SWEET TIP:

When picking a melon at the grocery store or farmers market, avoid bruises or cracks. Choose a melon that feels heavy for its size. And now my favorite tip, the one I use all the time: pushing the fingers on the round section of the cantaloupe or honeydew. It should feel soft!

Categories
Fruit Tips

Learn how to clean your fruits with one simple tip

Let’s learn how to clean fruits with one simple tip!

There is more we can do than just rinse our fruits and veggies with just water! Some fruits with skin that we won’t eat like oranges, avocados, or papaya, for example, can be washed with soap and water. However, I like to clean most of my fruits and veggies using vinegar and water, that is my one way to clean fruits! Especially the fruits we eat the skin. It makes me feel good when I know I am doing a little extra work to keep my fruits and veggies cleaner and away from any possible virus or bacteria. Let’s learn how to clean your fruits with one simple tip.

Be mindful that this mixture that I am about to show you is not supposed to eliminate the COVID virus, but it should help.

You can use a bowl or a bigger container like a mixing bowl, then add one part white vinegar and five parts water. It’s okay if you add a little extra vinegar in the mixture. Before you add the fruits or veggies into the bowl with the mixture, be sure to rinse them under running water to remove any soil or debris that might be on them. After that, leave the produce in the mixture for about 10 minutes and rinse well. It is also important to let it dry thoroughly before you put the produce in the fridge.

When you have a variety of fruits and vegetables, try to wash these separately. On another note, some people may think that vinegar changes the taste of the fruit or veggie, but I never taste the vinegar. Learn how to clean fruits with this one simple tip! You should try this cleaning method and let us know if you have any questions!

Click here for tips on how to select the best fruits at the grocery store