Apples and pears

I serve fruit at dinner every evening. I can only go grocery shopping once a week, and I am trying to save money, and it seems that the most inexpensive fruit that I can buy, that I don't have to worry about going mouldy, are apples and pears.

I'm happy eating an apple or a pear every day, but DH complains about them, so I was wondering if there is anything I can do to make them more palatable. (I already cut them up into slices for DH so he doesn't have to bite into a whole apple or whole pear, because he has complained about that.)

The whole point of this is to make healthy meals, so I don't want to turn them into sugary desserts, although once I bought a jar of apple sauce as a subsitute for fresh apples and DH thought I was strange for thinking you can eat apple sauce on its own. He said it was meant to be an ingredient in another dessert.

For background, DH's mum's idea of a healthy meal is mashed potatoes mixed with mincemeat, possibly with a couple of peas mixed in, followed by pudding, so he was never brought up with a taste for fruit and veg.

Any suggestions?

Sounds a bit grim to make the guy eat an apple or pear at every dinner, especially if he doesn't really like them, days upon days of enforced apples would get make me complain as well. My DB was never a big fruit/veg eater so I just hide them in things, the trick is to make it tasty. Like if I make a curry it will be mostly vegetables with just a small amount of meat, but honestly, he's a grown man, if he really doesn't want to eat like that, maybe he just shouldn't.

Wouldn't it be easier to incorporate fruit in other ways or find fruit he likes and save from your budget elsewhere? Like a couple of days of bananas on cereal then maybe raisins... If you're wanting cheap fruit ideas, why not look at Frozen fruit? There's amazing deals on berries etc, then just add a dollop of yoghurt and maybe some splenda or honey if you need sweetness. Or fruit canned in it's own juice with no added sugar.

But if you're set on apples then you can bake an apple or pear with cinammon, nutmeg and maybe raisins, shaved coconut (dried) etc
Cut the apple into wedges and serve with a low fat yoghurt and peanut butter dip

Would he eat a fruit salad? You could add some tinned (in their own juice) fruit to chopped up apple, and maybe splurge on a mango or some kiwi or something else a bit more exciting than apples and pears.

I find that grapes and bananas last a good time without going off - particularly if you choose some ripe bananas and some greener ones. They should be fine for a week. Oranges, too.

Even if you can only shop once a week, couldn't you buy some more interesting fruit and just eat it earlier in the week?

Thanks. I have also been buying oranges, grapes, berries and fruit tinned in its own juice, but thought I would be able to save money by eliminating the grapes, berries and tinned fruit, which are more expensive. Guess I can't.

DH used to make his own meals, then asked me to cook for him because he thought my meals were healthier and I was in better physical condition, and he wanted me to serve him the same food that I would eat. 

Everyone's suggestions are really good so far. 

I say splurge on an orange or two and a bunch of grapes.  Do a fruit salad (this is exactly what I have for breakfast every day) with the apples and pears, put even just a few grapes in (cut in half) and a few pieces of orange.  The orange and grapes will last all week in the fridge and it's just enough to make the apples and pears more interesting. 

I almost always find bags of oranges or satusumas or tangerines in the sale section of the produce area.  There is almost always something else fruit-wise in the sale section as well like kiwis, etc.  Surely an orange or two and a bunch of grapes won't break the bank, plus it's more vitamin C and antioxidants, so it's a bonus! 

Even I'd get sick of just plain old apples and pears for dessert every day, and no-one likes their fruits and veggies as much as I do!

Thanks.

All good ideas and pretty much what I might do anyway.

I was just hoping that I could get a way with something simpler and more boring for a while.

DH used to make himself pot noodles every day to save money and didn't complain.

Oh well.

I was just hoping that I could get a way with something simpler and more boring for a while.

Life's too short for boring! 

DH used to make himself pot noodles every day to save money and didn't complain.

I used to do that, too until a friend pointed out the obvious--that there is absolutely no nutritional value in it.  And I worked in a natural food market at the time.  Decided my health and well-being was more important than saving a few pennies.

My mother makes a really simple apple salad that I love. Cut up apples into bite sized pieces, mix with some raisins and, if you like, some chopped pecans. Toss the lot in lemon juice with just a bit of honey and cinnamon. You could also try agave syrup. Yes, you are adding sugar but not that much.

What about baked apples or pears? Stuffed with raisins? You could use very little sugar and let the natural sugars do the trick.

Baked apples and raisins are a good idea. Thanks.

I agree about the pot noodles having no nutritional value. He did add egg to them, though.

Have you thought about getting organic produce delivered?  We've been doing this for a couple of weeks and love it. It's reasonable as well. My husband was never a big fruit eater, but he eats all the fruit sent (2-3 pieces a day).  Also, if your husband doesn't like fruit, he really doesn't need to eat it.  Your 5 a day can be entirely vegetables.  I've found with my husband who didn't like most veg will eat most greedily if prepared in certain ways.  Like tonight I cooked a big pan of organic carrots, leeks and a bit of parsnip in garlic and seasoning until caramelized.  He loved it.  He's downed pretty much every veg dish and usually asked if there was more.  I am waiting for more of the difficult fruit to come (for instance, he finds melons and peaches not so nice).  I am hoping the focus on taste rather than appearance that some of the box delivery services offer might make him open up his fruit repertoire.

If you really feel the need for fruit:

Waldorf/berry/melon topped salads
Berry "soup"
Mixed in porridge
Made into a compote and mixed into semolina
Topping almost any sort of pudding
Dried in a fruit and nut mix
Stuffed inside chicken/poultry
Make homemade sausage patties with ground pork, seasoning and grated apple or other fruit.
Stuffed inside crepes