Life is a bowl full: When it comes to fruit, variety is the key to good health

Follow nutrition headlines and it may be tempting to focus on one fruit that's exciting to health researchers.

Unfortunately, the stars of the produce stand can change their rankings as quickly as the frontrunners on "American Idol". One week we're told to cheer for red grapes; the next it's cantaloupe.

How should a person choose which fruit to eat for maximum health benefits?

Don't fixate on one fruit, but eat a variety instead, say nutrition experts.

"There's no one super fruit. It's how all the nutrients work together," says Dee Sandquist, registered dietitian, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

In fact, with the luscious range of summer fruit available, people should make it their goal to eat more fruit, period, dietitians say.

"It's one of the most important things we can do," says Alice Bender, registered dietitian and nutrition communications manager, American Institute for Cancer Research, Washington, D.C.

Fruits are high in dietary fiber and water content so you fill up without too many calories, Bender says.

In addition, fruits contain vitamins, such as A and C, the mineral potassium, as well as plant chemicals that may reduce a person's risk of chronic disease. People who consume more fruits may have a lower incidence of larynx, esophagus, stomach or lung cancer, according to Bender.

When shopping, pick from the color wheel, Sandquist says.

"Go wild with berries. We know from all the research that berries have wonderful health components and disease-preventing properties.

"Add green in honeydew melon and kiwifruit, red in watermelon, and yellow and orange in papaya and cantaloupe, Sandquist says.

For those not in the fruit habit, "start with what you actually enjoy and built onto that," Bender says.

Think beyond the predictable fruit occasions. Add fruit to entree salads and other savory dishes. And when craving an indulgent dessert, skip the cheesecake and reach for a luscious peach.

Five ways to enjoy seasonal fruit

1. Layer your favorite cereal, nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt and a half-cup berries into a tall glass for breakfast.

2. Spear peach wedges on skewers and grill alongside pork tenderloin, chicken thighs or shrimp.

3. Prepare a salad lunch or dinner of baby spinach greens, crumbled blue cheese, scallions, walnuts; add sliced strawberries or plums.

4. Stir a handful of fresh raspberries into sugar-free ginger ale or iced tea.

5. Give a fresh-fruit boost to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For example, make it peanut butter, strawberry jam and fresh strawberries or peach preserves and finely chopped peaches.

How much is enough?

It's not difficult to meet daily recommendations for fruit intake. Here's what the average person should be eating, or encouraging family members to eat, according to the experts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Children: 11/2 cups

Adult women age 19-30: 2 cups

Adult women 31 and up: 11/2 cups

Adult men: 2 cups