One of the great things about summer is the delicious and refreshing seasonal fruits and vegetables. Eating seasonally has its benefits. Food is fresher, tastier and more nutritious when consumed in season. When you buy seasonal fruits and vegetables from local farms they are often fresher since they haven’t been transported long distances, or harvested early so they can be shipped to your local stores. Some of my favorite summer produce is watermelon, cherries, corn, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
Why Eat Seasonal?
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of seasonal fruits and vegetables from Farm Hippie:
Eating seasonal saves money – seasonal produce tends to be less expensive.
Seasonal produce is fresher – if you compare locally grown produce to store produce most likely you will see a difference in color, vibrancy, and taste.
Seasonal produce is healthier – nutrients decline when produce is stored for long periods of time.
Seasonal produce is more flavorful – when crops travel long distances they go through different processes to prevent spoiling and slow down or speed up ripening.
Eating with the seasons encourages home cooking – buying seasonal produce usually encourages you to cook more, which is better for your health.
Guide to Summer Produce
Here’s a handy list of fruits and vegetables that grow best in the heat of summer from Whole Foods Market.
Check it out and let me know which ones from this list are your favorites. You can leave a comment for me below, I would love to hear from you!
Fruits
Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
Cantaloupe and Honeydew Melons
Cherries
Stone Fruits (peaches, plums, apricots and nectarines)
Watermelon
Grapes
Vegetables
Corn
Summer Squashes (zucchini, yellow squash)
Tomatoes (fruit/vegetable)
Okra
Cucumbers
For NCP Panel Members
Many fruits and vegetables don’t have a UPC barcode, so be sure to use the Non-Barcoded Items list in the NCPMobile app or, if you use NCP’s handheld scanner, refer to the Barcode Reference Booklet to report your produce purchases.
There are several choices of fruit in the Fruits category including “Prepared Fresh Fruit” which you would select if you bought a prepared fruit salad. If you purchase a fruit that is not on the list, then choose the “Other Fruit” category. Same goes for vegetables. There are several choices in the Vegetables category. If you don’t see the vegetable you purchased on the list, then choose the “Other Vegetable” category to report the purchase.
I hope the rest of your summer is berry good!
Regards,
Taylor
More From NCP:
Summer Fruits are Berry Delicious!
Finding Food and Fun at the Farmer’s Market
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I love summer because of the freshness of the veggies! I try to go to the farm stands because it costs less than farmers market and is usually picked the same day which makes veggies and fruit more flavorful!