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When you’re hungry and need a snack avoid grabbing cake or candy. Instead reach for a navel orange and preserve not only the calories but avoid any additional sugar and carbohydrates. While you will certainly find sugar and carbohydrates in a navel orange, you will find healthy natural sugar and “good” carbohydrates. While everyone is likely to have the need for snacks during the day, it’s important for each person to learn to eat snacks that are healthy, and eating a navel orange will help you not only get rid of the in between meals hunger pangs but also will provide healthy nutritional balance.

There are a variety of reasons to start adding navel oranges to your daily diet, such as a snack. Navel oranges taste great and are an excellent source of vitamin C as well as antioxidants. When cold and flu season rolls around, having that extra boost of vitamin C is a great benefit. No matter where you live you are prone to the cold and flu season. Adding navel oranges to your diet is a great way to boost your immune system during this season.

Colds and flu are not the only illnesses that will be improved when you eat healthy snacks that boost your immune system. Many serious diseases are caused by a breakdown in the immune system including some cancers. Choosing a navel orange instead of piece of cake will help your body build its resistance to many different illnesses while it will also help you maintain a proper weight because you don’t consume empty calories and excessive carbohydrates that your body turns into sugar. Instead of that bowl of ice cream, why not choose a healthy Texas navel orange in its place.

Often times, healthy food choices do not taste all that great. Fortunately for the navel orange it is sweet, juicy and extremely tasty at the same time. Choosing a navel orange dessert will provide you with many health benefits as a result of consuming important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. That doesn’t mean you have to always eat the fruit right from the peel; you can certainly find many creative ways to eat a navel orange that will still provide you with the same nutritional value you would obtain from grabbing a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl when you’re looking for a snack.

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Pittman & Davis is a leading fresh fruit gift shipper, providing texas citrus, including ruby red grapefruit, oranges, fresh citrus, and baked goods. Visit http://www.pittmandavis.com for more information.

It’s not that surprising that kids don’t want to eat healthy. Most of their parents don’t eat healthy foods on a regular basis either. Research studies have shown that the eating habits that kids develop when they are little will stay with them throughout their lives, so it’s very important for parents to teach their kids healthy eating habits when they are small. If you want to start to get your kids to eat more fresh and healthy fruit the best way to do that is to get fruit baskets. It sounds a little strange but kids are far more likely to eat healthy food when it’s packaged in a pretty basket wrapped in colorful ribbons and cellophane.

Think about how many food items are packaged for kids. What do they all have in common? Often times, the packaging will be colored brightly, have sparkles or other designs to grab the attention of the child. Kids will be more likely to grab a piece of bright citrus fruit for a snack when it is presented in a beautiful basket and is easy to get to. If you keep the citrus fruit in a cabinet or the refrigerator, your child may not take the time to look for it. If you keep a basket filled with fresh oranges on the counter top and tell them they are for guests, you can bet they will be sneaking an orange when you back is turned. 

Kids don’t understand nutrition or how the body works and how vitamins and minerals are processed in the body. All they know is that fruit tastes good, and if you dress up the packaging of the fruit so that it looks exciting to them by serving it in fruit baskets they will choose the fruit over other snacks.  You can even make a game out of it by having your kids pick a fruit out of an attractive fruit basket each morning for their school lunches, or have them choose a piece of citrus fruit for each other as an afterschool snack.  If you put fruit baskets in the living room and play room the kids will probably grab an orange as a snack rather than come all the way out to the kitchen to beg for cookies. And, since they can easily peel an orange on their own you are encouraging their independence. Someday the kids will understand that eating healthy is important for staying healthy but when they’re small all they need to know is that those fruit baskets contain tasty treats.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.

One of the most popular fruits is the navel orange. Perhaps it is because of its larger size compared to other varieties of oranges or because the navel orange is usually seedless. The navel orange is well known for its size and the fact that it has what appears to be a navel on the outside, thus the name “navel orange.” The “navel” hides another small orange within the skin which is another reason this orange variety is larger than some of the other varieties you might find in the food market or at produce stands.

Because of the climate oranges are available in Texas all year although the peak season for navel oranges is November through early May. During August and September the market tends to slow down although it is still possible to find an abundant supply of navel oranges in some places throughout the United States. Texas is only one of the four states that grows and harvests the oranges that are shipped to various states on both the east and west coasts. The availability depends largely on the type of weather growers must endure during the peak growing season. Changes in temperature can negatively affect the number of navel orange crops the trees will produce.

Texas offers an assortment of different types of oranges, but the navel oranges is the most well known. If navel oranges are not available, people will usually choose Valencia oranges in their place. Both types are seedless, but you can find a few seeds in Valencia oranges every now and then. Valencia oranges are not as easy to peel as its cousin the navel orange, which makes the navel orange a great on the go snack.

The location where you live quite often determines where the navel orange you buy is cultivated. This is not necessarily a guarantee, however; it is quite possible you can closer to the east coast and purchase navel oranges that were cultivated on the west coast. One important thing to keep in mind is when it comes to eating any kind of orange, they are very healthy and have an abundance of vitamin C—important for those who live in changing climates that may cause the development of many weather-induced illnesses. Adding navel oranges to your daily diet will help boost your immune system especially during cold and flu seasons.

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Pittman & Davis is a leading fresh fruit gift shipper, providing texas citrus, including ruby red grapefruit, oranges, fresh citrus, and baked goods. Visit http://www.pittmandavis.com/ for more information.

Using fruit baskets to decorate for a party is a great way to spend less and get more.  Instead of wasting money on flowers or balloons as decorations for birthday parties, picnics, anniversary parties, holiday parties and other occasions use decorative fruit baskets filled with tasty citrus fruit. Citrus fruit can be used in beverages, in cooking, or as a healthy snack alternative for the guests at the party.  Fruit baskets full of colorful varieties of citrus fruit will enhance the decor of the party and make it more festive. And, since citrus fruit can stand up to many different temperatures and weather events citrus fruit is perfect all year round.  Here are some fun ways that you can use both large and small citrus fruit baskets to decorate at your next party or wedding reception:

Centerpieces – You can make a beautiful centerpiece for any event by placing fresh oranges in small bowls. It doesn’t matter the weather, they can sit through both warm and cold days. Additionally, they can be used as snacks for your guest or to be taken home as party favors. You can even personalize the fruit but having stickers made up for the event or even stenciling a message on the peel. If you are throwing a shower or wedding reception these simple but elegant centerpieces don’t cost a lot so you’re not losing a lot of money if people take them home.

Pool parties – Fruit baskets are wonderful decorations for pool parties. Arrange several large mixed fruit assortments around the pool area so that people don’t need to get out of the pool in order to grab a snack.  One of the great things about citrus fruit is that it cleans up very easily and you won’t have to worry about dangerous spills poolside. Investing in citrus fruits is a good idea if you entertain at your own home pool during the summer months. One idea is to add a swim up bar to your pool where you can leave the fresh citrus fruit for either snacking or to add to refreshing beverages.

Birthday parties – Try not to offer to many sweet snacks, chips and party favors and keep the focus on the birthday cake at birthday parties. You can give parents a healthy snack alternative for their kids to snack on by having assorted fruit baskets placed around the party. Try having the kids do an activity such as making the citrus fruit party favors by making their own yarn wrappers or paper wrappers. The kids will really enjoy getting involved with making their very own party favor.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.

If you’ve never tried a Texas navel orange, you have not tried the best of Texas produce. Of course, you may live in another state and still have the good fortune to buy a navel orange from the western part of the United States—not all navel oranges are native to Florida by any means. You need to take the time to engage in some enjoyment of the Texas navel orange whether it is from a produce stand or just enjoying the flavor along with your wonderfully prepared dinner at any of the many excellent restaurants.

For what reason should you select local Texas fruit? One of the best ways to get a taste of true Texas culture is to eat a local navel orange. This fruit is so easy to enjoy because the skin is easy to remove and the fruit is seedless. You can easily separate the fruit into segments, so its a great on the go, healthy snack. You can add navel oranges to any part of your diet, whether for breakfast or a late night snack.

Unfortunately during the time of year when most people travel (June through August and December in Texas and July through September in Florida) navel oranges are only available in California. This makes it difficult for some travelers to have the opportunity to enjoy a local Texas navel orange. However, that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy other delicacies that may have been prepared while the navel orange was still available. It also doesn’t mean you will not be able to taste these sweet delights before you return home from your business trip or vacation.

The navel orange is definitely one of the delights of Texas culture and not one you want to miss while you are there. Whether you eat it whole or have it in a drink or in a culinary delight, you certainly do not want to miss the opportunity to enjoy the sweet taste of a navel orange. The best part of the navel orange is not the extra section on the end of the orange (“the navel”), but instead its amazing sweetness and juiciness. It is much easier to enjoy an orange of any variety when you don’t have to worry about seeds.

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Pittman & Davis is a leading fresh fruit gift shipper, providing texas citrus, including ruby red grapefruit, oranges, fresh citrus, and baked goods. Visit http://www.pittmandavis.com for more information.

Using Florida oranges when you’re cooking is a fast and easy way to turn a plain dinner into a gourmet one.  Citrus fruit goes exceptionally well with fish and pork, but also adds a lot of spark to chicken and poultry dishes.  Florida oranges, grapefruits, and juice laden tangerines are great to use when cooking because you can use the juice, the peel and even the fruit segments in so many ways.  No part of the fruit gets wasted.  Using fresh squeezed fruit juice also gives the dish a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals in addition to the ones that are already in the food.  Even though it can seem intimidating to people who haven’t done a lot of cooking it’s actually easy to create tasty and rich sauces using Florida oranges and other citrus fruits.  Here are some tried and true home cooking citrus sauce ideas to get you started:

Basic Citrus Pork Sauce – Your family will welcome this tasty sauce.  It is a great complement to your holiday meal and will easily become part of your holiday meal tradition. All you have to do is mix sugar with the juice of some fresh squeezed Florida oranges, add some lemon juice, cornstarch, grated orange peel, butter and grated lemon peel.  By adding or reducing the amount of cornstarch, you can adjust the thickness of the sauce to your liking. After the sauce is mixed well, spoon if over the holiday ham as it cooks.

Basic Citrus Fish Sauce – This is a great sauce that can be used for light, flaky types of fish.  The familiar and delicious taste of the sauce will give them the confidence to eat the fish.  To make the sauce you’ll need the juice of several fresh Florida oranges, some fresh lime juice, sugar, mustard, and olive oil.  Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and warm together until they form a thick sauce.  If you’re not happy with the consistency you can also whip it in a food processor.  Salt and pepper to taste after the sauce has been mixed and serve with the main fish course.  This sauce goes especially well with fresh salmon.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.

Are you trying to save money on gifts for families and friends this year? Giving healthy fruit baskets is a great way to spend less and still give fabulous gifts that your family and friends will all appreciate.  Beautiful baskets of fresh oranges, grapefruits, and tangerines are wonderful gifts for any occasion. If you want to give more than just fresh fruit you can choose from deluxe gift towers or more ornate fruit baskets with gourmet chocolates, nuts, candies and other treats as well as delicious and healthy fruit. 

Sending fruit baskets for events like birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and other special occasions is a great way to show you care without spending a fortune. Even an inexpensive gift of fresh oranges arranged in a beautiful bowl looks elegant and expensive so your gifts will always look great even when you don’t spend a fortune on them.   Fruit baskets can be shipped all over the world, so no matter where the celebration is being held you can get a beautiful fruit basket there even when you can’t attend yourself.

Sending healthy fruit is a great gift this year because there are so many people who are cutting back on their food budgets and usually when people cut back on their groceries fresh fruits and vegetables are the first things they cut.  Getting a basket of delicious, fresh oranges or grapefruits is a gift that most people would be very grateful for, even if they don’t talk a lot about cutting back on their spending.  Typically families with young children and elderly family members are the first ones to cut fresh fruit from their budget so this year even if there is no occasion send a large fruit basket to your relatives with small children, or an elderly relative who lives alone and they will really appreciate it.

Fruit baskets make gift giving easy because you can browse through dozens of professionally designed baskets  and fruit towers online, order them all at once, and choose what day you want to have them sent.  If you want to really surprise your friends and family this year buy them fruit baskets of exotic and highly sought after citrus fruits like Honeybells or Clementines. These delicious fruits are only in season for a very limited time during the year and getting them can be tough since they typically sell out long before they are even harvested.  Your friends and family will be thrilled to get baskets of these healthy fruits this year.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.

Blood oranges are the most  tropical  of all the oranges and make an exciting  and unusual fruit basket gift .  They acquire  their name from the almost gem like ruby red or maroon color of their flesh.  They have an equal number of eye appeal as the delightful  lush juice has for taste.  They are basically, the best orange available during their season.

The blood orange makes a big  entrance when it is  arranged as a fruit basket .  The outside is a bright orange made even brighter if it was on the tree when the nights started to cool down.   Cut  one open and the incredibly rich odor will  tease  you and start you salivating.  When you bite into one of these, just give into it, you’re going to be hooked .  Blood oranges have a deeply rich orange flavor and the only insidious part of this fruit is a hint of raspberry  taste .

Because they are so rich in flavor, and their appearance is so dramatic, they are  well known   for dressing up both salads and meats.  Sliced wedges  tossed with greens or  rounding   a serving plate of pork tenderloin add a distinctive look as well as taste .

If you have a friend who is into sauces, the blood orange will be a real treat for them.  Probably the simplest  and easiest meat sauce possible is microwaving a few tablespoons of orange marmalade and then tumbling in sliced wedges of the blood orange.   Bold and delightful .  It makes great chutney, and if you want a  big   change, it makes a  fun salsa  too .

And of course there is the juice.  If you want to add a real boose to your day-after-day OJ, mix in the juice of a blood orange and add ice.  Fair warning although, you’re likely to go through withdrawal attacks  once you run out of these amazing midsized citrus.

Exciting food isn’t the blood orange’s only specialty.  The deep red color of the inside is caused by an abundance of a pigment known as anthocyanin which is an super powerful antioxidant.  Antioxidants ensure free radicals which are responsible for the formation of abnormal cells found in cancer.  The anthocyanin coupled with the vitamin C and beta-carotene found in the fruit gives  first-class prevention of cancerous cells.

Gifts of fruit baskets are  unique in themselves but a gift of blood oranges makes it even more so.  Do a friend a favor, or better yet, do yourself a favor and get a fruit basket full of blood oranges now.

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Article contributed by Hale Groves, providing fresh fruit baskets, gift baskets and Florida oranges and citrus, including delicious navel oranges, honeybells, ruby red grapefruit, valencia oranges, tangerines and more! Visit HaleGroves.com for more information.