S.M.A.R.T. Goals and Tropical Fruit Salad

I know it’s already the 4th week of 2009 but over the weekend I was listening to a pastor from Seattle talk about setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for the type of goals that work. Here’s what each letter stands for: S: Specific,M: Measurable, A: Attainable, R: Realistic andT: Timely/Tangible.

You might be wondering how this relates to my food blog entry today. Well, lately, teen son and hubby have been complaining about needing more fiber in their diet. So, among the several personal goals I made for myself this year, one relates to the food I prepare for my family. For me, it’s challenging to consistently meet the “5 to 9 servings a day” of fruit and veggies. When I’m too busy, it’s so easy to slip up. So, one of my S.M.A.R.T. goals is to serve 5-9 servings of fruit and veggies at least 5 days a week. I think the following tips from About.com and WebMD will help keep me focused in the right direction.

WebMD lists 19 easy ways to get the recommended 9 servings a day.

A serving of fruit or vegetables can be a medium sized nectarine or ¼ cup dried fruit or ½ cup fresh fruit or ½ a grapefruit or ¼ cup cantaloupe or a dozen grapes or ½ cup chopped vegetables or 8 carrot sticks or ¾ cup fruit juice/ vegetable juice.

As a rule of thumb, about 2 cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables every day can meet the quota.Making a fruit salad, tossing fruit into your breakfast, snacking on dried fruits, spooning up some soup, drinking your fruits and veggies, and having prepared fruits and vegetables ready to go in the fridge are just some practical tips at WebMD.

Here’s a recipe from WebMD that I tried. The Tropical Fruit Salad was simple, delicious and refreshing. This healthy treat is definitely a keeper!

20-ounce can pineapple chunks canned in juice

2 kiwi, peeled, halved and sliced

2 cups strawberry, quartered

1 large banana, sliced

1 papaya or mango, peeled and cubed (or 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained)

½ teaspoon finely grated lime zest or peel

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 ½ tablespoons honey

1/3 cup unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Drain pineapple chunks, and set aside 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice in a 2 cup-measure. Put pineapple chunks, kiwi, strawberries, banana, and papaya or mango into large serving bowl. To the pineapple juice, add lime peel, lime juice and whisk together until nicely blended. Drizzle over the salad, and toss to coat the fruits well. Sprinkle coconut over the top before serving, if desired. Yield: About 7 cups.