How to get fruit in diet when you don't like fruit

October 26, 2025 •

5 min read

According to a 2020 study by the CDC, approximately one-quarter of children and adolescents aged 2–19 did not consume any fruit on a given day. This guide is designed for anyone, of any age, who struggles with the taste or texture of fruit but still wants to incorporate these important nutrients into their diet.

Quick Summary

Explore creative cooking methods and clever preparations to incorporate more fruit into your meals and snacks without having to taste it directly. Learn how to use fruit in smoothies, baked goods, and savory dishes to get essential vitamins and fiber.

Key Points

Smoothies are a great disguise: Blending fruit with ingredients like peanut butter or cocoa powder can completely mask its taste and texture.
Bake and cook with it: Use pureed or shredded fruit in pancakes, muffins, or bread to add nutrients and moisture without a strong fruit flavor.
Incorporate fruit into savory dishes: Add chopped or pureed fruit, like pineapple or mango, to salsas or sauces for grilled meats.
Try dried or frozen alternatives: If fresh fruit texture is the issue, dried or frozen versions offer different textures that might be more palatable.
Focus on vegetable alternatives: If fruit is off the table, eating a wide variety of colorful vegetables can provide many of the same essential vitamins and nutrients.
Experiment with roasting: Roasting fruits like apples or pears can bring out a new, caramelized sweetness that changes the flavor profile.
Make your own dips and sauces: Fruit purees can be mixed into yogurt or used to create delicious, naturally sweetened sauces.

Clever Kitchen Hacks to Disguise Fruit

For those who dislike the taste or texture of fruit, clever preparation is key. The goal is to incorporate the nutritional benefits without the sensory experience you find unpleasant. By blending, baking, or hiding fruit in savory dishes, you can reap the rewards without a fuss.

Smoothies and 'Nice' Creams

Smoothies are a classic method for a reason. Blending fruits with other, stronger-tasting ingredients like peanut butter, cocoa powder, or yogurt can completely mask the fruit flavor. For example, a chocolate-banana smoothie can taste like a rich dessert, with the nutritional bonus of a serving of fruit. Freezing ripe bananas and blending them with a dash of milk creates a creamy, naturally sweet 'nice cream'. You can also freeze other berries and combine them with yogurt for delicious popsicles.

Baking and Cooking with Fruit

Baking is an excellent way to incorporate fruit, as the cooking process changes its flavor and texture.

Banana Pancakes: Mash ripe bananas and mix them directly into your pancake batter for natural sweetness and moisture.
Muffins and Bread: Add shredded zucchini, carrots, or pureed applesauce to muffins, cakes, and loaves for moisture and nutrients.
Oatmeal: Stir dried fruit, like raisins or dried cranberries, into your morning oatmeal. The sweetness will be there, but the texture is different than fresh fruit.
Roasting: Roasting fruits like apples or pears brings out their sweetness and can create a new, caramelized flavor and texture.

Savory Dishes with a Fruity Twist

Don't limit fruit to sweet dishes. The natural sweetness can complement and enhance savory meals.

Fruit Salsa: A fruit salsa made with mango, pineapple, and kiwi can top grilled chicken or fish. The other ingredients, like onion, cilantro, and lime, will dominate the flavor profile.
Salad Add-ins: Toss small pieces of fruit, like dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, or grapes, into a chicken or tuna salad. They add a burst of flavor and texture that is integrated with the other ingredients.
Pureed Sauces: Pureed fruit, like a cranberry or apple sauce, can be served alongside pork or turkey, or incorporated into a BBQ sauce.

Maximizing Flavor and Minimizing Texture

The primary complaints about fruit often revolve around texture. By focusing on methods that change or eliminate this aspect, you can enjoy the nutritional benefits effortlessly.

Puree It: Create a fruit puree and mix it into yogurt, cottage cheese, or even pasta sauce. Blended butternut squash or sweet potatoes, which are botanically fruits, are commonly pureed into sauces for a creamy texture and added nutrients.
Dried Fruit: If fresh fruit is an issue, dried fruit offers a different texture and concentrated sweetness. Add raisins to trail mix or dried apricots to rice dishes.
Juicing: While whole fruits are generally better due to fiber content, a small glass of 100% fruit juice can provide vitamins, especially if you squeeze it yourself to avoid excess sugar.

A Comparison of Fruit Forms

To help you decide which form might work best for you, here is a comparison table outlining the pros and cons of different fruit options.


Fruit Form	Pros	Cons
Fresh, Whole Fruit	Maximum fiber and nutrients.	Taste and texture may be an issue. Can be perishable.
Smoothies	Masks taste and texture effectively. Quick and portable.	Can lose some fiber if only juice is used. Easy to add too much sugar.
Frozen Fruit	Convenient for blending. Long shelf life. Often cheaper.	Some texture differences after thawing.
Dried Fruit	Different texture and concentrated flavor. Very portable.	Higher in natural sugars and calories. Can be lower in some nutrients.
Baked/Cooked Fruit	Changes flavor and texture. Can be hidden in other foods.	Can lose some heat-sensitive vitamins.

Conclusion: Finding Your Fruit Solution

Integrating fruit into your diet doesn't have to be a chore, even if you don't like the taste of whole fruits. By using creative culinary techniques like blending them into smoothies, baking them into breads, or adding them to savory dishes, you can enjoy the significant health benefits—like improved digestion, enhanced immunity, and a reduced risk of chronic disease—without the unpleasant experience. Start by experimenting with one or two methods that sound most appealing, like adding pureed fruit to a favorite sauce or blending a frozen banana into a decadent smoothie. This gradual approach allows you to increase your nutrient intake subtly and effectively, proving that you can have your nutrients and eat them, too.

Get Creative with Hidden Fruit Recipes

Here are some recipe ideas for incorporating hidden fruit.

Hidden Fruit Recipes

Chocolate-Avocado Cookies: Avocado provides a creamy texture and healthy fats, while the chocolate masks its flavor.
Avocado Chocolate Pudding: Blend ripe avocado with cocoa powder, a sweetener like maple syrup, and a splash of milk for a rich, creamy, and healthy chocolate pudding.
Pineapple Spinach Popsicles: The strong pineapple flavor easily overpowers the spinach, and the frozen form eliminates the texture.
Pumpkin Spice Muffins: Use canned pumpkin puree, which is technically a fruit, in muffins for added moisture and beta-carotene.

Remember, the key is to find what works for you and to be consistent. With a little creativity, you can successfully get more fruit into your diet, one sneaky bite at a time.

What to Eat Instead of Fruit?

If your fruit-aversion is extreme, focusing on vegetables is a powerful alternative. Many vegetables are botanically fruits, such as cucumbers, avocados, and tomatoes. Vegetables are generally more nutrient-dense in key vitamins and minerals like potassium and Vitamin C, and lower in sugar and calories than most fruits. A balanced mix of both is ideal, but a diet rich in a variety of vegetables is far better than a diet low in both. Don't forget about other food groups either. Beans, legumes, nuts, and whole grains all provide essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Additional Tips

Focus on Different Colors: Aim to eat a rainbow of vegetables to ensure a broad spectrum of nutrients. Include greens like spinach and kale, reds like tomatoes and bell peppers, and oranges like carrots and sweet potatoes.
Season and Roast: Enhance the flavor of vegetables by roasting them with herbs and spices or using lemon juice.
Mindful Eating: Pay attention to the flavors and textures you do enjoy. Perhaps it's the crunch of a carrot or the creaminess of avocado. Build on those preferences.

By strategically incorporating fruit in different forms or focusing on nutrient-rich vegetable alternatives, you can maintain a balanced and healthy diet that you enjoy. The most important thing is consistent, healthy eating, regardless of how you get there.

Frequently Asked Questions

While vitamin supplements can help, they are not a complete substitute for whole fruits. Fruits contain fiber, antioxidants, and a wider range of micronutrients that work together, a synergy that cannot be fully replicated in a pill. A balanced diet with whole foods is always recommended over supplements alone.

No, drinking fruit juice is not the same as eating whole fruit. 100% fruit juice provides vitamins, but it lacks the dietary fiber found in whole fruit. The fiber helps regulate blood sugar and aid digestion, while juice can cause a quicker spike in blood sugar.

Some vegetables that are botanically fruits include tomatoes, avocados, cucumbers, and squash. These can be incorporated into your diet to boost your intake of certain nutrients and can be more appealing to those who dislike traditional, sweet fruits.

For desserts, focus on strong complementary flavors. Cocoa powder is excellent for masking fruit taste in recipes like avocado or banana brownies. Strong spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger can also help to disguise the fruit flavor in baked goods like muffins or oatmeal bars.

Yes, dried fruits can be a good option. They have a different texture and a more concentrated sweetness that some people prefer over fresh fruit. Add them to trail mix, oatmeal, or baked goods. Be mindful of portion sizes, as they are higher in calories and sugar than their fresh counterparts.

The key is to use fruit that complements the main flavors. A small amount of pureed fruit, like prunes or applesauce, can add a subtle sweetness and moisture to meatloaf or barbecue sauce. You can also use fruit in salsas, where the fruit is diced small and balanced by savory flavors like onion, cilantro, and spices.

Start with a simple fruit smoothie. Blend frozen fruit, like bananas or berries, with a handful of spinach, a scoop of peanut butter, and milk or yogurt. The flavors blend together, and the frozen fruit helps create a creamy, thick texture that can be more palatable than fresh fruit.