I have a fruit bowl and I’m so proud of it. I stare at it weekly and smile. It’s totally fabulous! I aim to make it that way every single week when I hit the market. Like this week:

Beautiful, right?

It all started a few years ago when I spied this super cool bowl on clearance at TJ Maxx. I fell in love with it, and instantly snatched it up even though I didn’t know immediately what I’d do with it. But I knew I’d find something. I brought it home, and proudly stuck it on my counter until I decided on its mission.

Fruit!

Every week since, I hit the grocery store in search of a bounty to fill it. By week’s end, it’s nearly empty, looking rather sad and begging me to fill it again. During this weekly wax and wane process, I’ve discovered a great array of benefits:

• It motivates me to make it pretty. That means filling it with a variety of colors and textures, which in turns provides a multitude of different vitamins and minerals and plenty of fiber. Sometimes a vegetable or two even sneaks in!
• It offers easy, healthy snacks. It’s tough not to reach for beautiful bananas, apricots, or plums when they’re within eyesight and reach. K-Bear often asks for her favorites when sitting on her stool or propped on the counter.
• It lessens waste. When you can see fruit ripening in front of you, you are more apt to use it up before it goes bad. Mash up avocado with onions, tomatoes and garlic for a quick guacamole. Spread a sliced banana with peanut butter. Combine a number of fruits together for a salad, smoothie or grilled kabobs.

I always snatch up what’s on sale or in season. Lemons and limes however are a staple of mine, as are avocados. Other fruits that do well in the bowl are bananas, apples, plums, apricots, peaches, kiwi, mangos, pineapple, and tomatoes. I also like to keep my occasional sweet potato or orange in there as well.

What’s in your fruit bowl?

I shared this post on Fresh Bites Friday, Fight Back Friday, Freaky Friday, Foodie Friday, Sunday School, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Monday Mania, Mangia Mondays, Just Another Meatless Monday, Fat Tuesday, Hearth and Soul, Frugal Tuesday, Delicious Dishes, Tuesdays at the Table, The Gathering Spot, Frugal Days Sustainable Ways,  Health 2day, Whole Food Wednesday, This Chick Cooks, Simple Lives Thursday, Your Green Resource, and It’s a Keeper.