Summer Fruits And Veggies
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, 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 |
Onions |
Blueberries |
Red grapes |
For suggestions on ways to prepare many vegetables and fruits, visit FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov: Fruit and Vegetable of the Month and FruitsandVeggies.gov: Recipes.
Go ahead; enjoy summer meals by including delicious produce at every opportunity! You can start healthy eating habits to follow year-round!
More Information
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FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov
Do you eat enough fruits and vegetables? Fruits & Veggies Matters.Gov provides easy ways to add more fruits and vegetables into your daily eating patterns. -
Fruits & Veggies—More Matters®
Visit: Produce for Better health's Web site for additional information; tips, recipes, and more! -
Local Harvest
Shopping at a farmers' market is a great way to meet local farmers and get fresh, flavorful produce. Use their map to find one near you! -
USDA Farmers Market database (AMS)
This database allow you to search for farmers markets based on specific criteria -
MyPyramid.gov
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
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