Healthy eating is important at every age. Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy or fortified soy alternatives. When deciding what fruits to eat, choose options that are full of nutrients and limited in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. Start with these tips:

Include fruit at breakfast

Top cereal with your favorite seasonal or frozen fruit, add bananas or chopped apples to pancakes, or mix raisins into hot oatmeal.

Take fruit on the go

Fruits like oranges, bananas, and apples are great portable snacks. You can also bring along a can of mandarin oranges or pineapple chunks packed in water.

Make your own trail mix

Combine one or two favorite breakfast cereals with dried cranberries and raisins. Bring for a snack in a small sealable bag or container.

Enjoy fruit as a snack

Make fruit kabobs using melon chunks, bananas, and grapes. Top with a light yogurt sauce for a fruity snack or side dish.

Add fruit at dinner

Chop up a combination of tropical or seasonal fruits to make a fruit salsa to top fish or chicken, or add fruit like grapefruit sections, apple wedges, or grapes to a tossed salad.

Keep fruit on hand

Cut up fruit and place in a bowl in the refrigerator. Put the bowl at the front of the shelf so that it’s the first thing you see when you open the door.

The benefits of healthy eating add up over time, bite by bite.