(Family Features) - Two years ago, Japanese supermarkets couldn't keep bananas on the shelves after a man revealed the secret of his weight-loss success on a leading social network. Now a healthier version of his diet is catching on in America, thanks to the fruit and nutrition experts at Dole.

The Go Bananas 2-A-Day Challenge was originally created in 2009 by the Dole Nutrition Institute as a healthier sequel to Japan's phenomenally popular Morning Banana Diet.

Dole's expanded version for 2011 is part of larger multimedia initiative created by Dole Fresh Fruit for Americans looking for a healthy way to kick off the New Year. The Go Bananas Challenge substitutes well-balanced meals and nutritious recipes instead of the "all-you-can-eat" approach popular in Japan.

Going beyond the original two-banana morning routine, Dole nutritionists created a comprehensive two-week regiment of lunches, dinners and snacks to help participants boost their energy, increase their intake of fruits and vegetables, and improve their overall health while they lose weight.

"We know that increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables in general, and bananas in particular, can help support healthy, sustainable weight loss," said Nicholas Gillett, Ph.D., of the Dole Nutrition Institute. "What we did at Dole was expand this simple principle into a well-balanced, two-week plan that can serve as the basis for a long-term healthy lifestyle."

Go Bananas 2-A-Day Challenge participants begin each day with two bananas and at least eight ounces of water, a combination that specifically aids in weight loss.

According to Gillett, banana fiber creates extra bulk in the stomach, allowing participants to feel full longer - and less hungry overall. He says the fiber acts like an internal accelerator that pulls some of the fat in the stomach through the digestive system before it can be absorbed.

The Go Bananas Challenge follows the morning banana routine with a medley of 14 lunch and dinner recipes that combine lean chicken or fish with fresh Dole® fruits and vegetables, low-fat cheeses, wheat pasta, long-grain rice and salads.

While participants can choose among fresh fruit, vegetables and nuts for their daily afternoon snack, sugar-based desserts and alcohol are strictly off-limits. The plan also advocates that followers drink water only with every meal, finish eating by 8 p.m. each day and go to bed by midnight.

"Of course, those taking the Go Bananas 2-A-Day Challenge also benefit from the banana's status as a superfood. It doubles as an excellent source of vitamin B6 and a good source of potassium, fiber and vitamin C," added Gillett.

Special dishes included in the plan range from Curried Spinach Soup and Warm Thai-style Scallop and Mango Salad to Spinach and Chicken Stir Fry with Raspberries and Honey Mustard-glazed Salmon with Fruit Salsa.

For more information on the Dole Banana Diet, or Dole Bananas in general, including recipes, serving suggestions and nutritional information, go to www.dole.com/bananas. You can also follow Dole Bananas on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DOLEbananas.

Two popular recipes, Caribbean Black Bean and Fruit Salad and Pineapple Salsa Chicken, are featured in the sample meal plan. Remember that at least 8 ounces of water should accompany each meal.

Sample of a Day's Menu

Breakfast
2 Dole Bananas and 8 ounces of water

Morning Snack
5 slices Dole Pineapple (3-1/2 inches in diameter x 3/4 inches thick)

Lunch
Caribbean Black Bean and Fruit Salad

Afternoon Snack
1/4 cup almonds

Dinner
Pineapple Salsa Chicken

(Family Features) - On-the-go families need easy ways to make healthy eating part of the everyday routine. There's a little fruit that can do just that.

California mandarins are a cross between a sweet orange and a Chinese mandarin, and are harvested from mid-October through April. Sweet, seedless and easy to peel, mandarins offer a variety of nutrients per serving, including fiber, potassium, protein, calcium, vitamin C and folate. A single serving of mandarins (2 whole) has only 80 calories and provides nearly 300 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C.
California mandarins are great for snacking, but the pint-sized fruit can also be a tasty and healthy addition to simple, everyday meals. Incorporating mandarins into beverages, salads or yogurt snacks boosts nutritional value and brings the sweet, citrusy taste of summer during the winter months. Try these quick and easy recipes and make mandarins part of your family's nutrition routine.
For more information, visit www.cutiescitrus.com.