Powerful Produce Katie Sharpton, MPH

Powerful Produce

The summer brings in seasonly delicious produce, such as the stone fruits—peach, plum, and cherry. All three have a pit inside, hence, the name “stone” fruit. Stone fruits tend to have thin skins that may be fuzzy or smooth. These fruits are picked at their peak and only good for a short amount of time. Once you pick or buy, you want to enjoy them as soon as you can! Peaches are packed with vitamins and numerous health benefits. One medium sized peach has 285mg of Potassium and 9.9mg of Vitamin C. Potassium helps maintain a healthy blood pressure and is needed for muscle and nerve function. Some other examples of potassium-rich fruits are prune juice, prunes, dried peaches or apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew melons, orange juice, raisins, figs, and berries. By incorporating peaches into your meals, it will boost your immune system, increase nerve and muscle health, protect your vision, and increase fiber. Fiber helps reduce blood cholesterol levels, may reduce the risk of heart disease, and promotes proper bowel function, including reducing constipation. Fiber-containing foods such as fruits help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. Whole or cut up fruits are sources of dietary fiber, but fruit juices contain little or no fiber. Sour cherries are best for pies, while sweet cherries are perfect for on-the-go snacking.

Other stone fruits include nectarine, apricot, mango, olive, dates and coconuts.

My Plate recommends eating between 1 and 2 cups of fruits every day, depending on your age, gender, and level of physical activity.

Although 100% fruit juice can be a healthful part of your diet, it is always better to choose more whole fruits than juice because whole fruits contain more fiber. If you need 2 cups of fruit daily, you could select 1 cup of fruit juice and 1 cup of whole fruit. “Fruit punch,” “fruit aid,” and “fruit drinks” contain little to no actual fruit juice. They are high in sugar and water and lack other nutrients. Read the food label to determine the percentage of juice in the drink. Sweetened juice products with minimal juice content, such as sports and energy drinks, are considered sugar- sweetened beverages rather than fruit juice.

Peaches and blueberries are two of the numerous delicious fruits that are in season right now. What can you make with those fruits? Frozen peaches add a nice sweetness to smoothies or for making homemade ice cream. This fruit is very versatile and can be used in sweet and savory recipes. If you do not have an ice cream maker, simply mix ingredients in a blender and freeze in a container.

Blueberries may be small, but they are packed with flavor and nutrients. One of my favorite recipes for using this fruit is for a blueberry coffee cake. I usually use frozen, rinse and dry, then coat in flour; which ensures the fruit will not sink to the bottom while baking. Have fun and be creative during the month of July! While enjoying peaches and blueberries, be sure to share your ideas with your friends and families while using the hashtags #NationalPeachMonth and #NationalBlueberryMonth

Katie Sharpton, MPH Family and Consumer Science/4-H Agent McKinley County Cooperative Extension Service

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