BY JESSICA BUSTER, MA, RD/LD – NRHS CLINICAL DIETITIAN
This story sponsored by
Summertime Nutrition:
NATIONAL FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLE MONTH
W
hen I think of summer, I always think of all the fresh fruits and veggies available. Did you know that the USDA recommends eating more fruit and vegetables than any other food group? They say half your plate at each meal should consist of fruits and vegetables. Make sure you're getting enough. Try to get four servings of fruit and five servings of vegetables per day. A serving of fruit is roughly ½ cup of fresh, frozen, or canned. A serving of vegetables is one cup of raw leafy veggies or ½ cup of fresh, frozen, or canned.
eat the rainbow. Fruits and vegetables also provide little to no sodium and typically are low in calories and saturated fat. In other words, they are all around good for you!
Get creative or keep it simple when working more fruits and vegetables into your diet. For instance, eat whole fruit as a snack. Or add some berries or bananas to a bowl of cereal or yogurt for breakfast. When making something simple like a sandwich, pack all the vegetables you love – think tomatoes, lettuce, and avocado. Sauces and soups are great for using veggies that may spoil soon - think garlic, Summer is the perfect time to pack in fruits and vegetables as fresh onions, or peppers to a pasta sauce. produce grows in abundance this time of year. June also happens to be National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month. What better way to celeDid you know storage matters? How you store your fruits and vegebrate than to add your favorite in-season fruits and veggies to your diet. tables can significantly impact how long they keep—storing things the When selecting fresh produce, try to choose in-season items as these wrong way will have you wondering why you wasted your money. Some will taste best and have the most nutritional impact. Harvest season also tends to be when you're likely to find fresh produce at the best examples: Watermelon prefers a dark place like a pantry. Meanwhile, price. Here's a list of prime summertime fruits and veggies: Berries, bananas do best on the countertop, and berries should be stored in corn, cucumbers, eggplant, figs, grapes, green beans, melons, pep- the fridge. If you wash your berries before placing them in the refrigerapers, stone fruit (apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, and plums), tor, they're likely to mold faster. Certain produce gives off ethylene gas which can cause other produce to ripen more quickly – this is why you summer squash, tomatoes, and zucchini. should store bananas separately from other produce. The importance of eating a variety: Fruits and vegetables of the same Now get out there and celebrate National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable color offer similar nutritional benefits. This is why it is essential to eat various colored fruits and vegetables. They are packed full of vitamins, month by focusing on making half of your plate tasty and nutritious minerals, and fiber. Each color offers unique health benefits, so try to fruits and vegetables! 32 | MOORE MONTHLY | JUNE 2022
