Food prices are high, and they go higher all the time. Eating healthy has become a great challenge. Buying organic and fresh is always the best choice, but during the Winter months when more has to be shipped from further away, the prices can become outreageous.

If you can afford to buy fresh fruit, you should check it for certain things first. Some winter fruit crops do not grow as well as the summer crops do. Check you fruit to make sure there are no breaks in the skin. Bacteria and germs can creat problems if they get into the fruit. You also want to check for worm holes, punctures and holes. These can indicate a contamination problem also. Not only do you not want bugs in your fruit, but you don't want that bacteria either. Also check the for bruising and discoloration, as this can indicate that the fruit has been tossed around a lot. Bruising and discoloration can also indicate that the fruit on the inside has started to deteriorate.

If you can't afford to pay the high prices for fruit during the Winter months, you can opt for canned or dried fruit. As usual, you should read your labels carefully. If you are buying canned fruit, you want to make sure you know exactly what indgredients are in there. If there is something on the label that you don't understand, then don't buy it. Often canned fruit is packed in sweet syrup, which can add calories and can cause digestive and other problems if artificial sweetner is used. Opt for canned fruit that is packed in its own juice or is organic.

If you are opting for dried fruit, just again, read the label to make sure there aren't a lot of ingredients added. Dried fruit does retain a lot of its vitamins and nutrition value if it is dried the right way. All they are actually doing is taking the moisture out of it. Look for organic or locally dried fruit.