Assorted fruits and berries are pictured at a fruit stand in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.Tara O'Brady/The Globe and Mail
Forget the bananas and oranges. Pass on the imported berries, too. At least for the next two months.
This time of year, we're able to enjoy in-season, locally grown fruit – Okanagan Valley cherries, Saskatoon berries, Niagara Peninsula peaches, Quebec wild blueberries, New Brunswick melon, etc. – instead of fruit that's been shipped in from far-away farms.
Locally grown fruits are picked at their peak of ripeness, providing maximum flavour and nutrition. The juicy red strawberries from Niagara I'm enjoying right now (though not for long) don't hold a match to the underwhelming California versions available year-round.
The short time from field to table also allows locally grown produce to retain vitamin C and B vitamins, nutrients susceptible to breakdown. Peaches and apricots are particularly vulnerable to nutrient loss when transported over long distances.
Much of the imported fruit we buy in the winter has been harvested early (before ripening) in order to prevent it from spoiling before it reaches the grocery store.
If your diet lacks fruit, here are a few incentives to up your game. Eating more fruit has been tied to a lower risk of heart attack, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. Berries, especially blueberries and strawberries, may also help guard against Alzheimer's disease.
And last year, a study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that among 18,000 women, 45 and older, those who ate at least three fruit servings each day – versus less than one – were less likely to become overweight during 16 years of follow up.
Depending on your health goal, though, you can't eat all the fruit you want, no matter how nutritious it is.
If you're trying to lose weight, the calories from natural sugars in fruit add up if you eat too much. If you have prediabetes or diabetes, you'll also need to limit (not avoid) fruit intake to help control your blood sugar level.
Most of us, though, could stand to eat more fruit. As a dietitian, I often find that fruit is a forgotten component in busy people's diets.
Now is the time to include fruit in your diet with this season's bounty.
Here are five in-season nutrition powerhouses to include in your summer diet. (Don't only eat these five, though; all summer fruits are good for you.) But don't wait. They won't be around for long.
Blackberries
Their dark colour signals their exceptionally high concentration of anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants associated with heart health and improved cognitive function. What's more, blackberries are among the top fruits for antioxidant strength.
They're also a decent source of fibre (8 g per cup), bone-strengthening vitamin K, vitamin C and folate. Not bad for 62 calories a cup.
How to enjoy:
- Add fresh blackberries to yogurt parfaits, toss them into leafy green salads or mix them (mashed or puréed) into a vinaigrette salad dressing.
- Make blackberry chia pudding: blend ½ cup blackberries with ½ cup coconut milk until smooth; pour into a Mason jar and stir in ¼ cup chia seeds. Close the lid and refrigerate until gelled.
Cantaloupe
This is one fruit you want to include in your post workout snack. Thanks to its hefty water content – 90 per cent – cantaloupe helps hydrate the body. And it also delivers plenty of potassium, a mineral that gets sweated away during exercise.
One cup of cantaloupe chunks provides 427 mg of potassium, equivalent to what a medium banana offers. It's also a great source of vitamin C (60 mg) and delivers 3.2 mg of beta-carotene, an amount experts contend is needed to help fend off chronic disease.
How to enjoy:
- Top fish and shrimp tacos with a salsa made with diced cantaloupe, minced onion and cilantro. Try a fruit pizza made with slices of cantaloupe, ricotta cheese, toasted pine nuts and baby arugula.
- Fill the cavity of half a cantaloupe with Greek yogurt for breakfast or a snack.
- Add balls of cantaloupe to a pitcher of water to infuse flavour.
Cherries
Dark sweet cherries are a good source of disease-fighting anthocyanins, providing about 30 per cent the amount found in blackberries. One cup of cherries (about 17) also supply 3 g of satiating fibre along with potassium, vitamin C and lutein, a phytochemical that protects our eyes from free radical damage.
How to enjoy:
- Eat them fresh out of hand for dessert or a snack.
- Pit them to add to fruit crumbles and berry pies.
- Freeze pitted cherries to blend later into smoothies or mix into muffin batter.
Peaches
For only 68 calories, a large peach is a good source of fibre, vitamin C, vitamin A and blood pressure-regulating potassium. It also delivers some lutein and flavonoids.
How to enjoy:
- Peaches are delicious eaten on their own, topped over cereal, added to salsa and baked into crumbles and pies. But I love peaches when they’re grilled. Brush peach slices with a hint of barbecue sauce and serve them with grilled chicken or fish, or grill them plain and enjoy with a dollop of ice cream for dessert.
Watermelon
Made up of 91-per-cent water, watermelon will help quench your thirst on a hot summer day. Preliminary research (published in 2013) also suggests that watermelon can reduce postexercise muscle soreness thanks to L-citrulline, an amino acid that's used to relax blood vessels.
This quintessential summer fruit is also packed with lycopene, a phytochemical that's studied for its potential role to protect against heart disease and certain cancers.
How to enjoy:
- Add diced chunks of watermelon to a spinach salad topped with crumbled feta cheese and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.
- Add diced watermelon to a salsa for fish and chicken (mango, watermelon, onion, cilantro or parsley).
- For a postworkout drink, blend 2 to 3 cups of watermelon chunks until smooth (strain if desired).
Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian, is based at the Medisys clinic in Toronto.