so
why not set a goal of enjoying seven to nine servings of fruit and vegetables
every day during the summer season? Your body (and taste buds!) will thank you.
Here are my favorite summertime fruits and veggies. Enjoy! Berries Strawberries
come first, followed by cherries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
There's some type of fresh berry available all summer long in most areas of the
country. Berries are good sources of fiber, folate and vitamin C. Eight
strawberries contain more vitamin C than one orange, and one cup of raspberries
has 30 percent of your daily fiber needs. They contain more antioxidants than
other types of food, helping protect against cancer and heart disease. Tomatoes
Early New England colonists believed tomatoes were poisonous, but today they're
one of our most popular foods. Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, a
phytochemical that helps reduce the risk of prostate cancer. They're another
good source of vitamin C and are also high in potassium. Don't limit yourself to
sliced tomatoes in salads or on sandwiches. Try adding cherry tomatoes to your
shish kabob skewers, hollow out a tomato and stuff the shell with tuna salad, or
use your blender for a quick and refreshing gazpacho loaded with tomatoes and
other summertime veggies. Corn Corn's reputation has fallen since low-carb diets
came into fashion, but it's one summertime vegetable I just can't ignore. One
ear of sweet corn provides three grams of fiber and another three grams of
protein, plus it contains folate, vitamin C, magnesium and potassium. Cooking
sweet corn makes more of its healthful antioxidants available, helping reduce
risk of heart disease and cancer. Salads There's no reason to keep using the
convenient, but sometimes boring, bagged salads when there's such a wide,
delicious variety of fresh salad greens available at local farmers' markets.
Toss handfuls of arugula, spinach, romaine and other types of greens together
with chopped, fresh veggies. Add some fresh berries, melon cubes or diced pears
for added flavor and color. Make a salad a meal by topping with grilled chicken
or fish, and dress with your favorite light dressing. Plums I adore juicy, ripe,
sweet plums quite possibly because two plums are considered one serving, and
it's always more satisfying to eat two of something! Plums are a good source of
vitamin C and provide essential antioxidants and phytochemicals. In fact, plums
contain more antioxidants than any other fresh fruit except berries.Written by Nora ( Gardian Angel)
