22 October 2006

How to get your Cat (or Husband) to Eat More Fruit


The percentage of women who meet the recommended intake of fruit per day is probably not very high. The percentage of men who meet it is probably even lower. It’s most likely the lowest for cats.

One of my excuses for not eating enough fruit used to be that I am too busy to eat fruit during the day. That sounds absurd, I know, but hear me out: When you eat fruit, your hands usually become sticky. Especially if it’s juicy and ripe, right? And unlike eating a sandwich or something you can eat with a fork, it is very difficult to eat fruit and do anything else at the same time. Then, adding to the time it takes to eat the fruit, you need to wash your hands both before AND after you eat fruit…that’s two trips to the washroom. In conclusion, if I want to eat an apple at work, it is a nine-minute ordeal during which I can do nothing else. I don’t have that kind of time!

Weighing out my options, I did some brainstorming and decided that the easiest, least sticky, and most time efficient way to get enough fruit into my and my husband’s bellies everyday is the fruit smoothie. There’s no peeling, no pitting, no de-seeding…there’s not even any chewing!



Try it and let me know if it works. But just in case your loved one rejects your efforts, I have included some potential excuses he may give you; each excuse is paired with an appropriate response to help you persuade your sweetheart to ingest the healthy and delicious concoction.

His excuse: “You don’t have time to make me a smoothie.”
Your response: “Nonsense. I can make a smoothie in 55 seconds, true story.”

His excuse: “I don’t want you to go the trouble.”
Your response: “Oh, it’s no trouble at all! I made one for myself and I accidentally made too much. You don’t want it to go to waste, do you?”

His excuse: “I have to go to work.”
Your response: “I know you have to go to work, so I put your smoothie in an empty water bottle. See? Now you can take it to go.”

smoothie-to-go

His excuse: “My stomach is full of chicken.”
Your response: “We haven’t eaten chicken for a week. Anyway, it’s just liquid now, so it’s not really food. It’s like a frappuccino. You love frappuccinos!”

His excuse: “Is there spinach in it because I heard you can die from eating spinach. Death by Smoothie!”
Your response: “You don’t die from eating spinach. You die from eating poop that might be on spinach.”

His excuse: “Smoothies is chick food.”
Your response: “So is frappuccinos.”

His excuse: “I don’t have any teeth.”
Your response: “Use this straw.”

His excuse: “I don’t like cat spit in my smoothie.”
Your response: “I don’t like people who get scurvy because of the lack of fruit in their diet. No scurvy for you!”

look at all that fruit!

You really don’t need a recipe for a smoothie, but I thought I would share with you the ingredients that are essential in my daily smoothie. But you should really put whatever you like in it.

1. Orange juice or juice of any kind. The liquid helps the blender run smoothly. If you don’t use juice, that’s fine, but be prepared to stop the blender and stir the fruit a few times. Stirring adds at least one minute to the smoothie-making process, however, because you have to turn off the blender, open the drawer to get a spoon, take out a spoon, open the blender lid, stir the fruit, turn the blender back on, and repeat procedure as needed. You also have to wash the spoon. Use juice, it saves you time and work.

2. Vanilla yogurt. Yogurt adds thickness and a nice sweetness, especially if the fruit isn’t especially ripe. Yogurt is also good for you!

3. Banana. The banana ensures a creamy consistency. Smoothies made without bananas tend to have icier textures.

4. Various combinations of frozen fruits and fresh fruits. Frozen fruits make the smoothie cold, negating the need for ice, which has no nutritional value. Frozen fruit is also efficient because it doesn’t rot while it sits around and waits for you to get around to eating it. You can buy frozen fruit in bags at the grocery store, or you can freeze fruit that you buy at the farmer’s market.

5. Baby spinach leaves (some days). Spinach is packed with nutrition and only makes the smoothie’s texture a little grainier than usual. You really don’t taste it. It does turn the smoothie green though, so if your husband or offspring are squeamish about green liquids, just put it in your own.

I wasn't eating your smoothie, I swear.


16 comments:

Anonymous said...

IM IN UR KITCHEN EATIN UR SMOOTHIE

Erielle said...

UR SCARIN ME

Anonymous said...

I love smoothies, meal in a glass. When I was in school and on the road for my commute at 6:15am, I would load up a travel mug with my smoothie and sip as I drove.

One good thing to add for a nutritional bonus is ground flaxseed. It gives it a bit of a nutty taste, a little texture and a ton of good stuff. A tsp. or two of protein powder helps too.

Cherry said...

My kitties love the smoothy too. But they also love fruit in general. Persimmons and Melons are their favorites.

One note.. don't put smoothies in a small mouthed Nalgene bottle, it never quite all comes out (especially if the boyfriend is responsible for cleaning out his own bottle and he does't do so for a day or two and leaves it out in the sun.. ewww).

Anonymous said...

that cat is so busted, smoothy thief. lord i dont eat enough fruit, i really want a smoothie now they look especially refreshing!

Lisa Braithwaite said...

Mmmm, smoothies! I really need to remember this. I have bags of frozen strawberries and blueberries in the freezer for just such a purpose.

I'm also very lazy about fruit. The way I eat it is cut up - takes about as much time as making a smoothie, I would imagine. No sticky fingers and yes, I do eat the cut pieces with a fork! Except when eating peaches in the summer. I still cut them up, but ya gotta eat a juicy peach with yer fingers!

Erielle said...

Kate, I will definitely try some ground flaxseed in my smoothies next week. I sip as I drive, too. Congratulations to me for never spilling smoothie on myself in the car. I can't believe I have been so lucky so far.

Cherry, I suppose you found a way to destroy a Nalgene bottle. I always thought they were non-destructable! We only use the plastic water bottles once for smoothies, then we throw them out. I'm way too lazy to scrape dried strawberry seeds that have been stuck to the inside of the bottle! And I worry about ingesting plastic that has begun to break down.

Aria, now you can start eating lots of fruit! Smoothies are refreshing and addicting. If I don't get my daily smoothie I am out of sorts (physically and emotionally) all day.

Lisa, blueberries are wonderful for smoothies. They make them purple and sweet! And they are a good source of antioxidants. One of those super-foods.
PS I didn't eat nearly enough juicy peaches this summer. Note to self to remember for next summer.

Toni said...

Try a Blue Hawaiian - Pineapple juice, blueberries and banana. Then add some rum, maybe not at work though.

Lisa said...

I love that post! The kitty photos and captions are greato.

I used to have a smoothie every day for breakfast when I lived in the Caribbean. All that wonderful fruit around! We'd peel and freeze bananas in a ziplock bag and use one per smoothie; that made it cold and creamy-smooth at the same time (I didn't use yogurt). Then some kind of juice, and some kind of cut up fresh fruit (mango, anyone?). So good. But -- I must say the cat never seemed interested...

Unknown said...

LOVED IT!!!!!!!! I love cats and smoothies how perfect can it get... my blog is in espanish (mainly) although I have some posts in english and if time lets me, I will soon have it all in english...love your blog....

Anonymous said...

Love the excuses and answers.

Our smoothie machine haven't been touched for almost 2 years...

I think it's about time.

evinrude said...

your blog just makes me smile! haha... i couldnt really stop laughing and i managed to read all your blog entries at one go! award me for being best fan ^^

Erielle said...

Toni, that sounds divine. Especially at work. I wonder if my blender fits in my briefcase...

Lisa, wow, you lived in the Caribbean! That must have been a wonderful experience. Fruit must not be the same anymore.

Thanks Diggliana! I hope that the translation of your blog goes well, that sounds like a huge undertaking!

Mae, what are you waiting for? Precious hours of fruit consumption are passing you by! Smoothie, stat!

Ms Evinrude, I'm glad you got some smiles and laughs. I like your name, by the way.

evinrude said...

^_^ thanks~! but evinrude isnt my real name. i got it from a book i read. in the book, it was the name of a cat. anyway my real name is melody. teehee~!

J said...

Geez, you made me WANT A SMOOTHIE! So yummy looking! I sometimes make them for my daughter's breakfast. mmmm. Perfect in a hurry breakfast.

Your pictures are gorgeous.

Chez Megane said...

Cute pictures! I make smoothies every morning for my husband and me. Our favorite combo contains pomegranate juice, 3 pears, a banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, frozen strawberries, vanilla yogurt, ice and soy protein powder - it's a whole meal! We're addicted! I never eat enough fruit otherwise.