Rich in nutrients, vast in variety, fruit and vegetables are a mainstay of the natural bodybuilding lifestyle. Try these tips to meet or exceed your recommended daily quota of nature's health-boosting bounty.
Make a well-stocked fruit bowl the welcoming centrepiece of your home. Top it up with the colorful bounty of the season, and encourage family and friends to treat it as a help-yourself snack bar, rather than an ornamental arrangement.
For a protein-packed anytime snack, spread a little peanut butter along the inside of a celery stick. Paste a line of raisins or dried cranberries on top, .and crunch to your heart's content.
Introduce a few leaves of fresh mint to a bowl of watermelon cubes, for an irresistible appetizer or summery salad.
Pop some seedless grapes into the freezer overnight. Serve as little bites of chilled dessert, or plop into a tall glass of water for an icy touch of flavor.
Lop the top off a leathery-looking granadilla (that's how you'll know it's ripe) and spoon out the seeds with a slurp. If you don't mind waiting a little longer for your fix, sprinkle the seeds over plain low-fat yoghurt instead.
Peel and slice a pawpaw into petals, and serve with a zesty squeeze of lemon for a breakfast treat.
Spread low-fat chunky cottage cheese onto granary bread, and top up with cherry tomato, thinly-sliced cucumber, grated carrot and sprouts for a filling snack.
Turn an ordinary sandwich into a culinary masterpiece by adding layers of fresh or grilled vegetables to your chosen filling.
Slice a big red apple into little strips, and cunningly serve as ‘apple chips' to your children.
Broaden your horizons. Try a fruit or vegetable you've never tried before, or try an old favorite prepared in a new and interesting way. If you're fond of steamed asparagus, for instance, why not try asparagus raw, with just a little balsamic vinegar and lemon zest on hand?
Tangy on the tongue, with just a hint of sweetness, the Kiwi fruit adds an exotic burst of flavor to a salad or dessert. But to really enjoy the fruit to its fullest, eat it like the Kiwis do: bite by juicy bite, with the skin on. Give it a good wash first, and remember, all that extra fibre is good for you.
Banana wheels on top of wholewheat toast? Try it. It's too good a treat to be enjoyed by five-year-olds alone.
Peel and cut a pineapple into hefty vertical slices. Slide onto sosatie skewers, and sprinkle lightly with curry powder for an authentic street-stall treat.
Thread grapes, strawberries, and cubes of Kiwi fruit, pawpaw, and watermelon onto skewers, and serve as tropical poolside kebabs.
Surround a dip-bowl of low-fat cottage cheese with alternating slices of fresh fruit and vegetables on a circular tray, and nibble at your convenience.
Start your day with a healthier sundae, by layering your muesli or high-fibre cereal with plain low-fat yoghurt, slices of fresh fruit, and a sprinkling of nuts drizzled with honey.
Slice a banana lengthwise, and coat the inside with peanut-butter. Stick it back together, and serve it to your children as a Peanut-Butter Banana Boat.
Toast a pita bread, fill it up with vegetables - cherry tomatoes, grated cabbage, red onion rings, cucumbers, peppers - and voila, you've got a quick and healthy salad in your pocket.
A is for Artichoke, B is for Butternut, C is for Courgette...test your fruit & vegetable literacy by working your way through the alphabet of options on your 5-a-day plan. And if you get a little stuck when you get to ‘X', try xigua, which is the Chinese name for a variety of small watermelon.
Haul out the cookie cutters, call in the kids, and spend some quality time crafting pretty vegetable carvings.
Painstakingly prepared from semolina or barley, couscous is a nourishing staple of African cuisine. But don't just eat it on its own: mix it with crispy roast vegetables, browned in their own juices, and add a topping of fresh green salad and lemon juice to make a meal on its own.
Spicy rice tastes even nicer when you mix it up with choppings of cold pineapple and cuts of mango.
Blend a banana with frozen berries, milk, and plain low-fat yoghurt for a tasty fruit smoothie.
Half-moon slices of a Granny Smith apple, served on a bed of celery stalks and leaves, with a topping of chopped walnuts. Yes, it's a Waldorf Salad, but something's missing: the mayonnaise. That's because all you need is a dash of lemon juice or olive oil to enjoy this crispier, crunchier, healthier version of the famous dish.
Raid your vegetable drawer to make a hearty soup or stew, and you're guaranteed to get your recommended quota of five healthy portions a day.
