The Holidays are right around the corner and here at Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast we want to help with your planning and cooking for healthy eating and entertaining this season!

An easy and delicious way to add interest and taste to the standard Thanksgiving meal is the addition of premium dried fruit.  Try adding Montmorency red tart cherries to your family’s favorite turkey dressing recipe or spice up the molded jello salad with dried blueberries.  Another welcome surprise for guests are Brownwood Acre’s dark and milk chocolate covered cherries, which also make much-appreciated gifts any time of year.

Just in time for the Holidays, we are offering customers a savings of $2.00 per bag on all of our one-pound bags of dried fruit – that’s USA grown Montmorency red tart cherries, balaton cherries and wild blueberries.

If you are looking for tried and true, tasty recipes, you have come to the right place.  Gourmet cook Debbie Colaianni shares her world of culinary delights on the FruitFast Recipe blog.  She welcomes your favorite Thanksgiving dishes, too, at Debbie@fruitfast.com.

Order today by calling toll free 1-877-599-3101.  We’re here to help you!

Fall is the perfect time.   It’s when schedules switch back to the school calendar and life seems to have more purpose and focus.   Sure, I’ll miss the summer’s outdoor activities of campfires, beach walks and baseball, but harvest time signals an explosion of Fall color, the missed excitement of  football games, and those bountiful farm markets with bushel baskets brimming with tempting fruit and produce.

If only all that good eating could last…

The next best thing to fresh is FruitFast.  Capturing this goodness is what we do and do so well.  Since we are coming off an extended growing season, there’s a bumper crop of cherries, apples, raspberries, cranberries and blueberries.  So, there is no excuse not to be enjoying the harvest and eating those fruits and veggies for a healthy diet.

FruitFast’s Juice Stimulus pricing remains in effect on our top selling juice concentrates -  Tart Cherry, Wild Blueberry, Red Raspberry and Cranberry.   Plus this month, we are introducing the amazing Great Lakes Cranberry Softgel at a special savings, too, of just $15.95 a bottle.

Food prices are dropping, as reported by the US Department of Agriculture this week, and we are delighted to bring our customers top quality fruit products that are affordable and healthy for good nutritious eating anytime of year.

I’ll be waiting to hear from you – call me Toll Free at 1-877-591-3101.

It seemed longer than it actually was.  But for a few weeks last month, Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast call center staffers had the unpleasant task of informing customers,  “Sorry, but we are currently sold out of our Mixed Berry Bars” and listen to their audible disappointed sighs.

That is no longer the case.

Supplies of the popular Mixed Berry Fruit Supplement Bars and Mixed Berry with Dark Chocolate Bars have been replenished and it is again easy to order these popular 40g bars that are USDA developed and patented.

Packed with premium grade berries for a nutritious between meals treat, each bar has only 260 calories and conveniently fits in pockets, purses and beach bags.  Although they are great tasting, the dark-skinned berries provide antioxidants and phytonutrients for a healthful pick-me-up anytime of day.  You’ll enjoy one apple plus premium grade red and black raspberries, wild blueberries and strawberries in every bar.

So spread the word.   Mixed Berry is back and available in just the right quantity for you and your family.

Good news is always fun to share and we have plenty to pass along about shipping costs for our customers.

With the introduction of Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast’s newly redesigned website, we now offer a choice of shipping options: United Parcel Service (UPS) or United States Postal Service (US Mail).

In many instances, even with postal rates rising on May 11, 2009, shipping costs through US Mail are almost 50% cheaper than using UPS when sending to certain locations.

Here’s a quick example:

Amy lives in Topeka, Kansas.  She is a regular customer purchasing three bottles of CherryFlex four times a year and additional products more frequently when we have a monthly special – like our fruit supplement bars in May.  But the UPS shipping expense cost Amy $7.22. Her price went down to $4.09 when we switched her shipping to US Mail. Most Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast customers can expect a savings of $3.50 to $5 per softgel shipment when ordering up to six bottles.  Delivery time is generally 2 to 5 days and is very reliable.

If you are ordering on a Thursday or Friday, delivery time is actually faster since US mail moves all weekend.

We are anxious to find the very best shipping option for you, no matter where you live – including Canada, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.  For example, we can ship one bottle of softgels for only $5.00, 2 for $8.00, 3 for $10.00 and 4 for $12.00 (USD).  If you don’t see the country you wish to send to listed on the Brownwood Acres website, please send us an e-mail.  You may also visit our International shipping page by clicking here. We use US mail flat rate boxes for our heavier items like concentrates, which can also reduce the shipping charges for you.
Have a friend or serviceman in another country?  Call or email us and we will be happy to compute the shipping costs overseas, which are consistently much more economical through the postal service.

We are happy to calculate the charges to ship our 100% natural and all-fruit products right to your door. Call us toll free at 1-877-591-3101 or send me an email at mary@brownwoodacres.com.

Thanks for helping us spread the good news to family and friends…

The last piles of snow have finally melted, the hillsides are greening and farmers in our neck of the woods are predicting that the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom by May 10.  Spring brings welcome sights and smells after a very long and snowy winter here in the northern Great Lakes region.

At Brownwood Acres/ FruitFast®, we share the sense of renewal, feel the urge to celebrate the season’s change, and enjoy the out-of-doors again.

That’s why the May Special we are offering is perfect timing.  A  Mother’s Day gift that’s sure to delight…

For just the month of May, the MixedBerry and MixedBerry with Dark Chocolate fruit supplement bars are half off:  A 50% savings off the regular price.  Order a 16-pack of either flavor or a split pack of 8 bars each for just $12.47.  You’ll pay only 78 cents per bar.

If you have not tried FruitFast Bars, you are definitely in for a delicious and healthy treat.  You’ll find a robust berry taste that is perfect for in-between meals.  And since they are 100% fruit without preservatives, no refined sugars and only 100 calories a bar, you’ll find the benefits of antioxidants in this USDA developed and patented fruit bar.

Visit our new, redesigned website to take advantage of the MixedBerry Bar special – then take them with you wherever you go to celebrate the arrival of Spring.  You can call us toll free, too, at 1-877-591-3101.

March is National Nutrition Month, a nutrition education and information campaign created annually by the American Dietetic Association.  The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

The ADA recommends using these three points when developing a healthy eating plan:

• Emphasize fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products
• Include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts.
• Choose foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium) and added sugars.

Be sure to have variety in your diet, too.  FruitFast offers many fruits that can help balance your diet.  Whether it’s dried fruit, softgels, concentrates, or fruit bars, there is an option that will meet your needs and round out your nutritious eating plan.

Call us toll free at 877-591-3101 – we would enjoying hear from you!

Here’s a test for you.  We all have heard how we need to eat more fruits and vegetables. Some measure by the servings, saying you should eat at least five servings daily.  Others calculate the needed amount of fruit and vegetables by the cup measure.

Either way, are you getting enough?  Do you really know for sure?  Why not take the next few days and track how much you’re actually consuming? At the end of each day, count the servings you’ve had of each.  What could be replaced during the day with a fruit or vegetable instead of some empty calories?

Here’s a suggestion that will help make the switch to better nutrition.  Instead of that handful of pretzels for a snack mid-day, grab a FruitFast CherryFlex Bar.   Each FruitFast CherryFlex bar has TWO servings of fruit. The bars are also available in Wild Blueberry, Pomegranate and Mixed Berry.  Each bar provides the nutritional equivalent of eating one whole apple and one serving of that particular bar’s fruit.

The bars offer an excellent alternative to the traditional calorie-laden, empty nutritional value snack. And to top it off, you won’t have to question your choices anymore, wondering if you’ve had enough fruits for the day…you’ll know you have the right answer.  It’s a test worth taking!

We read and hear often about the necessity of eating well to maintain our priceless good health.

Being a firm believer that if we eat from the major food groups, exercise regularly and stay away from processed and fast foods, we stand a fair chance at living well and longer.

That viewpoint was confirmed again this week when I read about a healthy diet on the Good Housekeeping magazine website.  They outlined six things that can help people lose weight and turn back the clock.

Not surprisingly, the top food category was produce – fruits and vegetables.  The article talked about the importance of fruits for their low calories, high nutrient content and because they make you feel “full”  — a great benefit when you’re dieting.

Blueberries were mentioned by the authors, two registered dietitians, saying the buzz over these berries is all about their memory-boosting potential.   Fruits typically contain Vitamin C – another antioxidant that fights free radicals, they wrote.

The online article went on to name the other five things that are important health benefits for their longevity diet:  protein, Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil, whole grains and red wine plus regular exercise.

Among the top picks for the best fruits are;  Blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, apples and cherries.

And FruitFast products have them all covered!

Many of us will be traveling for spring break soon.  Oftentimes, a week long vacation means a vacation from not only home, but also from our exercise and diet routines.

It’s hard to not be tempted by the fast food stops at every exit, the airport food, and the idea of a week-long respite from exercise.

But we all know that it’s the start of a slippery slope when we stop the routine we’ve been working so hard to maintain.  So why not incorporate it into your vacation?

Pack healthy snacks for traveling to curb the candy bar temptations and make exercise a part of your vacation.  Try some of our travel-friendly FruitFast products:

-    FruitFast Softgel Capsules -  Made from whole fruit, the 60-count bottles are small enough to fit in cosmetic bags and don’t require mixing or refrigeration.
-    FruitFast Bars -  They are easy to pack, convenient, need no refrigeration yet withstand heat well and they provide 2 servings of fruit in every bar.
-     Dried Fruit -  A perfect on-the-move treat that’s easy to pack in a suitcase, purse or backpack and it’s a great addition to granola or trail mix or toppings for cereal and salads.

We hope your spring break is filled with fun and that you are able to continue your healthy lifestyle – with FruitFast – while traveling!

There are many interesting and healthful ways to use FruitFast products and we hear about these new ideas almost daily.  This recent tip comes from a customer who is a young mother of a two-year-old.  (That’s Ellie pictured below)

With toddlers and babies, it’s normal for most everything they come in contact with to end up in their mouths.

Imitation dough or “play dough” is no exception.  Most little ones enjoy playing with this childhood staple, but it usually ends up being tasted by the preschoolers.  The smell of the commercially produced toy dough is objectionable to some parents as are the unknown dyes, stabilizers and preservatives it contains.

Kids can even help you make this dough substitution in your own kitchen:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
A few drops of FruitFast Liquid Fruit Supplements – Cherry, Mixed Berry or Pomegranate

Mix flour, salt and oil, and slowly add the water.  Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper and let cool.  Knead the play dough with your hands until of proper consistency.  Use as is, or divide into balls and add a few drops of any FruitFast Liquids – Pomegranate, CherryFlex or Mixed Berry – for a red or rosy pink coloring.
And then don’t worry if your child decides to “taste” their latest dough creation.

Have another FruitFast idea?   We’d love to share yours next.