What summer fruits do you add to your diet?

Now that summer has come, we must be prepared for the freshest dishes of the season. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are one of the most important ingredients for a healthy and delicious recipe that will cool and hydrate us during this period. Here are some useful tips to learn more about how you can reinvent your diet.

Using summer superstars, bring a healthy, phytonutrient fiber intake to your plate. And you can even forget about the long hours it takes to cook.

Depending on your area, you can reward yourself with summer meals that may include: apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, beets, bell peppers, blackberries, blueberries, melons, carrots, celery, cherries, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans , watermelon, lemons, lima beans, lime, mango, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries, summer pumpkin, tomatoes.

Fiber : “Fiber helps us in many ways. It is the indigestible part of food that acts as a broom for nature, eliminating what it can along the way, including possible carcinogens. Fiber keeps you full and is associated with lower cholesterol, blood sugar, and chronic inflammation, ”says Debbie Krivitsky, a clinical dietitian at the Harvard-affiliated Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Massachusetts General Hospital. “ Fiber also increases the diversity and abundance of healthy gut bacteria.”

Micronutrients . Fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients ,  plant chemicals such as carotenoids  (in tomatoes and pumpkins), anthocyanins  (in berries) and terpenes  (in cherries) that can help remove chronic inflammation and chronic diseases . “Eat in the colors of the rainbow, because fruits and vegetables of different colors offer different antioxidants that provide protection against all chronic diseases. The deeper the color of fruits and vegetables, the richer the antioxidants , ” says Krivitsky.

Water . Consumption of watery fruits and vegetables (watermelon, cucumber, peach, strawberry and watermelon) contributes to fluid intake, helping you stay hydrated during the hot summer.

With so many great fruits and vegetables available this summer, you may be wondering how to get the most out of them. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Make a salad

Add a few blackberries to the usual greens, make a fruit salad or try a Greek salad.

2. P arfait is ideal“Combine yogurt and fruits such as strawberries and blueberries. It looks great and the effect is refreshing and delicious. You can even take your favorite yogurt and freeze it, then add fruit on top, ”says Krivitsky.

3.L egume sauteed .  Use any vegetables you want for this lightly sautéed vegetable dish over pasta. One version: saute garlic, zucchini, yellow squash, onion and red pepper in a little olive oil; add oregano; and serve over your favorite whole grain pasta.

4. Grilled vegetables. Eggplants, zucchini and corn on the cob are especially good when brushed with olive oil and grilled. Try to keep the thickness of the vegetable slices so that they can be grilled. Or cut any vegetables and cook them in a metal basket on the grill. Add whole grains such as quinoa on top.
5. Create your own salsa. Put fresh tomatoes, onions, green peppers, mango and coriander for a salsa to use over grilled fish or poultry. Make chilled soups. Try gazpacho (mixed tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepper, red onions, bread crusts, a little olive oil, salt, pepper and cumin) or blueberry soup (mixed blueberries and yogurt, plus a little apple juice and cinnamon). Refrigerate and serve cold.
6. Grilled fruits. Cut the plums or peaches in half, remove the holes and cook them face down for just a few minutes. Serve with a little cinnamon and frozen yogurt or low-fat Greek yogurt.
7. Freeze the fruit for a refreshing snack. Frozen blueberries or raspberries is the perfect solution.

Have fun becoming creative and finding new ways to improve your diet with summer fruits and vegetables. ” Eat  at least three servings of fruit and two or more servings of vegetables a day,”  recommends Krivitsky. “It should be easy if you can incorporate these foods into every meal.”

You can get simple, cheap and fast meals to make while learning new and interesting things. Explore new recipes for which your body will thank you later. Dahna is your guide to a healthy diet and offers you over 200 recipes and menus consisting of vegetables and fruits. Let’s rediscover together the variety of meals rich in fiber and micronutrients, which we find in seasonal fruits.

Source here.