10 Ways to Enjoy Fruit This Summer
By Bethany on Jul 6, 2010
Rich in vitamins and minerals, fruit is nature's sweet treat that's sweet for your health. Summer brings a wealth of fresh produce just waiting to be enjoyed.
For a real nutritional bang, choose a variety of colorful fruits. The different colors tend to be rich in different nutrients.
For example, red fruits are often high in lycopene (an antioxidant that has been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers) and blue/purple fruits are often high in anthocyanins which has cancer-fighting properties.
This time of year, Farmer's Markets are stocked and pick-your-own farms are just waiting for your visit.
Try these 10 ways to incorporate a colorful variety of fruits into your diet:
- Add slices of banana, strawberries, and peaches to your morning oatmeal or whole-grain cold cereal.
- Mix blueberries and raspberries into low-fat yogurt for a mid-morning snack.
- Freeze grapes for a Popsicle-like treat. Bananas, berries, and peach slices are also delicious frozen.
- Spruce up a turkey or ham sandwich by adding slices of red and green apples.
- Mix diced green apples, sliced red grapes, and cubes of cooked chicken with low-fat mayo and use a whole-wheat tortilla to make a delicious wrap for lunch.
- Skewer balls of watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew for a attractive and tasty side dish.
- Add slices of apple, strawberries, pear, or mandarin oranges to a spinach salad.
- Top baked or grilled tilapia with a fresh salsa -- try combining finely diced mango and pear with some cucumber, a little olive oil and pepper.
- Grill sliced stone fruits such as peaches or plums -- spray the halves with a no-calorie butter spray and sprinkle with cinnamon before grilling to enhance flavor.
- Scoop out the seeds in a papaya half and fill with a mix of fruits (such as strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, and star fruit). Top with a small dollop of low-calorie whipped topping or low-fat yogurt.
What's your favorite way to enjoy summer's bounty?
10 Comments
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Created / Updated: July 12, 2010
I love fruit bubbled in oil.
ReplyIf you have a sweet tooth have a small portion of your favorite goody and then extend the sweet feeling by eating an apple or another naturally sweet fruit. I like apples because the fiber also fills you up.
ReplyI keep a big container of fresh fruit salad in the refrigerator. My last one was pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe. My boyfriend who never eats any fruits or veggies devoured most of it! The flavors combined together really taste better than processed junk food.
ReplyI love that at this time of year fruit is so plentiful and especially that it is so affordable!
Our current favorite is chopped nectarines and strawberries mixed together. Yum!
ReplyWe get tons and tons of fresh strawberries from my inlaws every year and we puree them with a little lime juice and a touch of honey (depending on the ripeness; sometimes we don't put the honey in). Pour them into popsicle molds and you have the BEST fruit popsicles ever. They are SO yummy!
ReplyI won't last a day without fruits.
ReplyI love adding fresh fruit to ice water...gives it great flavor. Try blueberries, cucumbers, lime or rasberries...and of course eat the fruit when the glass is empty!
ReplyGreat tips for health! For ideas on how you can take charge of your own health care, check out Whatstherealcost.org
Replyi ate an entire watermelon last week! it took the entire week. it was in the middle of a heat wave. everyone at work pulls out a soda and i pulled out yet another slab of melon!
ReplyI made a watermelon shake. LOL.
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