3 Ways to Pack More Fruit into Summer Meals with United Supermarkets

As United Supermarkets Corporate Dietician Brenda Garcia thinks about summer, she tends to think about grilling, melons, and hydration.

Maybe a little more specific than the rest of us. But incorporating fruits and vegetables into your meal planning not only supports a healthy lifestyle, but it can enhance summer hydration and add bursts of flavor to some of your staples.

Here are a few tips for adding more fruit to summer meals:

1) Check out the United Supermarkets weekly sales. Not only will the specials help you save money, but they also offer fresh ideas and hints at what's in peak season. For example, mangos have been marked down recently. Garcia suggests chopping mango up and mixing with pico de gallo. That could top grilled shrimp or pork chop — or finish off a shrimp taco.

2) Let the freezer do some of the work. You can stock up on bananas, toss them in the freezer, and then pop them in the blender with a little peanut butter to make what Garcia calls "nice cream."

3) Keep it simple. If you're in a hurry, grab 2-3 of United Supermarkets' fresh fruit cups, mix them together, and boom — you have a fresh fruit salad as a side for dinner.

Here are a few fruity recipes from the United Supermarkets' blogs, too:

• Cherry Yogurt Popsicles For The Whole Family
• Strawberry Citrus Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing
• Baked Cherry Almond Oatmeal
• Strawberry Dark Chocolate Mascarpone Crostini
• Blackberry Melon Basil Salad