The local food market is flourishing as the summer season is in full swing. The abundance of fruits is a welcome break from winter fruits like apples, oranges, and bananas.
Now, there are plenty of fresh peaches, plums, cherries, berries, and melons. If you have a Sweets craving, now is the time to tame it by increasing your intake of fresh fruit. Eat it as is, or take a moment to cut up a few different fruits for a fruit salad that you can enjoy all week. By selecting some blueberries for your morning cereal or some ripe, fresh apricots for an increase in beta-carotene, you can bring diversity to your routine.
You might also think about including fruits in your main course. While pineapple is frequently served with ham, you should also try it with other meats, such fowl. Sliced pineapple should be grilled just before the meats are done. Serve them with your meat or poultry after letting them sear for a few minutes on each side. Grilling fresh peaches is also a terrific idea. Before splitting them in half to grill, make sure they are fully ripe. A juicy side dish can be ensured by lightly dusting each half with sugar beforehand and letting them sit for about an hour before grilling. They can also be used as dessert. Add warm honey mustard or a honey yoghurt dressing.
Along with grilling fruit, adding fruit to salsas can give the flavour of your favourite salsa a welcome twist. Make your salsa as usual (with chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, etc.) and then stir in some peaches or mango, depending on the season. The contrast between the tomato’s and onion’s tanginess and the fruit’s sweetness is pleasing. Wonderful mango salsa flavouring can be found in fish like salmon or tuna. Serve these salsas at room temperature as a side dish or use them to top cooked fish.
At least five, and up to ten servings, of fruits and vegetables should be consumed each day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Another strategy to meet your “5-a-Day” target is to cook with fruit. Start by consuming two more servings of fruit each day. By including more fruits in your regular diet and cooking, you’ll enhance your intake of good antioxidants and fibre. Both are components of a diet that promotes heart health, fights cancer, and keeps your GI system and waistline in check. So the next time you hear the appeal of a chocolate chip cookie, reach for a juicy nectarine or some sweet grapes instead and take pleasure in the inherent sweetness they bring.
For more fruit in your summer diet, try these fiber-rich, low-calorie recipes:
Source: Land O’Lakes APRICOT AND CABBAGE SLAW
Ingredients in a dressing
1/3 cup standard LAND O LAKES sour cream
1/4 cup plain nonfat yoghurt
1/4 cup of thawed frozen orange juice concentrate
1/8 cup sugar
0.5 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, ground
Salad components:
1 package (16 ounces) of coleslaw mix
3 to 4 seeded, roughly chopped fresh apricots
Chopped green onions, 1/3 cup
In a small dish, combine all the dressing ingredients. Place aside.
In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients. Toss the salad with the dressing to coat. Keep chilled for up to three days.
12 (1/2 cup) servings are made.
PINK SALSA
1 cup of peaches, cut and peeled
Chopped red onion, half a cup
Chopped half a cup of yellow or green peppers
1 teaspoon of lime or lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil, parsley, or cilantro
1/8 cup sugar
a pinch of red pepper flakes
Everything should be combined in a medium bowl. For a few hours, cover and chill.
produce 1 1/2 cups.