Improve Your Health While Enjoying the Season's Colorful Produce
Summer
is a great time to enjoy everything the season has to offer, including
an abundance of fresh, tasty produce at its peak!
As part of a nutritious, seasonal dinner, try cutting up and grilling
fresh peppers, sweet onions, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, and
more. For dessert, follow up with a fresh fruit salad of melon,
strawberries, grapes, blueberries, cherries, and other fruits. The
vibrant colors will liven up your meal, and the appealing flavors and
aromas will tantalize your taste buds!
Why Fruits and Vegetables?
- Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other nutrients that are important for good health.
- Compared to people who eat only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts — as part of a healthy diet — are likely to have a reduced risk of chronic diseases. These diseases include stroke, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and perhaps heart disease and high blood pressure.
- Most fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories, so substituting them for high-calorie foods can be a calorie-reducing strategy. To learn more about the value of fruits and vegetables in weight management, visit How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage Your Weight .
Find out how many fruits and vegetables you need each day, visit Fruits and Veggies Matter.gov.
Color Your Plate!
A plate that includes colorful vegetables is not just appealing to the
eye. A wide variety of produce also provides your body with a number of
health promoting benefits, such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. It's
important to eat a wide variety of colorful vegetables and fruits every day.
The following table gives examples of some of the seasonal vegetables and
fruits you are likely to find in local markets during the summer months.
| Fresh, in-season vegetables include: | Fresh, in-season fruits include: | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Green
beans Tomatoes Radishes Zucchini Peppers Corn Cucumbers Spinach Sweet potatoes |
Onions Potatoes Eggplant Garlic Okra Squash Black-eyed peas Lettuce Rhubarb |
Blueberries Strawberries Cherries Melons Nectarines Peaches Pears Plums Pineapple |
Red
grapes Raspberries Valencia oranges Apples Watermelon Papaya Kiwi Mango Figs |
For suggestions on ways to prepare many vegetables and fruits, visit
FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov.
Go ahead; enjoy summer meals by including delicious produce at every
opportunity! You can start healthy eating habits to follow year-round!
Related Resources
FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov
Find tips, recipes, and more! To help you eat more fruits and vegetables
each day.
How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to
Help Manage your Weight
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Page last updated: June 20, 2008
Content Source: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
