In my quest to reach my status of Mom Extraordinaire I have come to the realization that there are simply some things that you have to do. One of those is to provide a source of nutrition for your family. My secret weapon to a healthy, happy family is fruit.
There is not a grocery store shopping trip where someone stops me to say, “Did I hear correctly? Did your child just ask to have a pear?” (or an apple, or kiwi, or whatever fruit is on their mind at the moment). My children love fruit. In fact, they can be lured away from the candy aisle if given the option to select any piece of fruit they want from the produce section.
I believe fruit provides some awesome defenses in keeping my children and family healthy. I’m obviously not alone in this opinion. The “My Pyramid” website states:
Eating fruit provides health benefits — people who eat more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Fruits provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.
The FruitGuys also agree. From their website:
“We believe that wellness grows on trees. We believe that making that wellness available at work, at home at schools and as unique weekly gifts is key to making America healthy again. “
That’s a powerful belief system. You know what? The FruitGuys take that belief system and add to it some pretty amazing things:
“We believe that supporting small family farms that value sustainability is an important and worthy pursuit. We believe in fruit; in vegetables, in environmentally friendly and reusable/recyclable packaging. We believe in consistent commitment to fulfilling our client’s needs.”
Friday, a fruit crate from The FruitGuys arrived for my family to review. It was like Santa appeared at the door. My children saw it on the front porch and utilized Team Work to drag it into the table. Then they hollered, “Dad, there’s a package! Can you help us?”
My husband arrived to be the hero and help the children open the eco-friendly crate. He carefully sliced into the tape and carefully lifted the lid..
The children stood at attention eager to see what was inside. “It’s fruit!” explained my six year old, “Food that works” she read.
“I hope it’s bananas!” my four year old said as he crossed his fingers.
My husband opened the box, which I think resembles a treasure chest. The first layer had a paper that was the Company Newsletter. It has an article by Chris about “A Natural Belly” and we were impressed to also learn that The Fruit Guys also brings the “Berkeley Wellness Letter, a nationally recognized newsletter of fitness, nutrition, and self-care.
But you probably wanna see the manna The FruitGuys pack into the crate; right?
Layer ONE:
The crate had an amazing selection. It is all from local regional farms (when possible). The variety changes each week to offer the freshest fruit.
My six year old selected a red bartlett pear. I tried to get her to share, but she was adamant it was hers. She took one bite and declared, “why don’t you buy pears this juicy?” Then she announced she was going to need “a towel because this pear is so juicy, the juice is dripping down my arm.” It was true, it was the juiciest pear I’d ever seen.
Li’l Man went for a banana. They are his favorite. He just sat quietly and ate away at the banana.
The FruitGuys take their fruit seriously. The freshest fruit is picked, packed, and delivered all within 24 hours! That’s seriously FRESH.
Days between harvest and store arrival for typical U.S. Produce: 7 days**
Days between harvest&FruitGuys arrival of “fresher to you” fruit: 2 days.**** Sources: California Tomato Commission, The FruitGuys
*”Fresher to you” is seasonal fruit through The FruitGuys farm direct program. Not all of the fruit in the crate is farm direct (such as bananas and other imported fruits which are not grown in the western United States.) Fruit is shipped to our shippable customers overnight. Generally, that means the seasonal fruit you eat is only three days out of the field by the time you eat it.
We have been eating fruit all weekend and made the most amazing fruit salad for Easter. The blood oranges have been the most impressive. My children are amazed at how red they are inside and how juicy and sweet they are!
The grapes were the fruit that captivated my husband. They were kind of a clear pink. When you bit into them it is a tad tart but then sweet. They are absolutely fabulous. Actually, they are gone now. A BIG hit.
I lived in Miami, Florida for ten years. At eighteen I was introduced to the Mango. I fell in love and ate so many one summer that it took a few years for the sight of them to not make me sick. I love mangos. The Fruit Guys sent one Champagne Mango. It’s a mango I’ve never heard of, nor had my husband. It rekindled my passion for the mango! It was supreme.
The FruitGuys deliver to home, school or work. I assure you the selection is large and the fruit is by far, the BEST tasting fruit we’ve ever had. My children loved seeing and experiencing new fruits that we don’t see in our produce department in Utah. I love the convenience and nutrition.