Fruit

A practical portion is one medium piece, such as an apple or orange, or a handful of smaller fruit such as berries or grapes. A mixed fruit salad works too; a portion is roughly 80 g.

Whole fruit keeps its fibre and takes longer to eat, while juice is easy to drink quickly and is less filling. For a snack, choose a piece of fruit or a handful of berries rather than a glass of juice.

Toss apple, pear or banana slices with a little lemon juice, then cover them tightly and refrigerate. The acid slows browning, though it will not prevent it completely.

Use your senses: ripe peaches and plums give slightly when pressed, while ripe melons often smell sweet near the stem end. Choose berries that are dry, plump and free of mould; fruit that is too firm can usually ripen at room temperature.

Keep berries, grapes and cut fruit in the fridge, and wash berries just before eating so they do not become damp in storage. Let firm peaches, pears and avocados ripen on the counter, then refrigerate them to slow further ripening.

Simmer chopped fruit with a splash of water until soft for a quick compote, or bake it into a crumble. Very ripe bananas also mash easily into pancake batter or banana bread.

Strawberries have more fibre: 3.8 g per 100 g, compared with 2.1 g in fresh fruit. Fresh fruit is a broad category, so the amount can differ considerably between individual fruits.

Many fruit skins are edible, including those of apples, pears and peaches; wash them under running water and rub gently before eating. Remove skins that are tough or unpleasant to eat, such as those of melons and bananas.