LET THEM EAT FRUIT

there are a tribe of people i call fruit eaters because, well, they eat fruit and lots of it. i have seen my british sister-in-law, ruth, fill her tesco shopping cart with pounds of apples, oranges and grapes, all of which her ruddy-cheeked kids devour within three days. our tall, tawny friend in california greets our children with mangos and bananas, and when they decline she offers them dried fruit snacks. meanwhile, the few apples in our basket grow soft and wrinkled.

maybe they invented the smoothie for people like me, who would rather get their daily fruit quota by iv drip. at serafina's tiny coffee bar, three whole fruits of your choice go into an industrial machine and come out as a light, healthy milkshake-like drink made with lowfat yogurt and ice ($5.20-a bit over my $5 limit). there are no peels, no pits, no seeds. there are also no add-ins like whey, soy powder and green tea. for this, you'll have to brave health food stores, with their scent of vitamins and pet food. fruits on offer are oranges, bananas, apples, pears and grapefruit. hopefully, serafina adds plums, peaches and watermelons to its summer smoothie roster. even i can't resist a juicy plum! -- serafina fabulous pizza 1022 madison ave. (near 79th street) 212-734-2676

got a snack attack to share? contact nbrand@aol.com