Those keen to encourage friends and family to follow a healthy diet could find fruit baskets an ideal gift.

Sun Herald reported that adding citrus fruit to a diet is a great way of lifting spirits and mixing up a boring daily menu.

Meals can be turned into "tasty, fresh, exciting" treats by the addition of certain types of fruit, the source said, with the foods ideal for cooking both savoury and sweet dishes.

Citrus fruit in particular contains high levels of many essential nutrients and vitamins - and this combined with the fact it is fat, sodium and cholesterol-free makes it a vital addition to any diet.

Senior food and nutrition editor at Health magazine Frances Largeman-Roth recently told the Early Show that when people are hungry at times not suitable for a meal, they can use it as a chance to get their daily recommended portion of fruit.