Science and modern technology, including improved transportation methods and better refrigeration, have made many popular varieties of fruit available year round. Exotic and tropical fruits also appear routinely in supermarkets. The best choices, however, are local, seasonal varieties, which offer good flavor and high nutrient value at a low cost.
Most fruits are rich sources of natural sugar, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. With the exception of olives and avocados, fruits are virtually fat-free. Fruits, which are composed of a high percentage of water, provide little protein to the diet.
Vitamin C is found in varying quantities in all fresh fruit, but citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit are the richest sources of this important vitamin. Also, citrus fruits, as well as strawberries and figs, supply limited amounts of calcium. Yellow fruits such as cantaloupes and peaches provide some vitamin A, and figs, plums, and dried fruits supply B vitamins, especially thiamin. Dried fruits, bananas, grapes, berries, peaches and apricots contain some iron. All fruit provides varying amounts of potassium and magnesium.
Below is a list of fruits with tips on selecting the best of the batch.
Apples(Baldwin, Cortland, Yellow and Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Grimes Golden, Jonathan, Mclntosh, Melrose, Newtown Pippin, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, Rome Beauty, Russet, Spitzenberg, Stayman, Wealthy, Winesap, York Imperial): Apple season is late summer and fall, but many varieties are available year round. Look for firm, brightly colored fruit. Some apples, such as Granny Smiths and Rhode Island Greenings, are green when ripe. A few varieties, such as Golden Delicious apples, should be bright yellow. Red apples, such as Jonathan, Red Delicious, and Winesap, should be bright scarlet ; others, such as McIntosh, Newtown Pippin, and Gravenstein are best with a greenish-red background. Too greenish a tinge, however, may mean that the apple is hard, starchy, and flavorless. Fruit that is too yellow may be soft and mealy. Smaller varieties tend to be less mealy. Avoid apples that are bruised or shriveled. Local tree-ripened varieties usually are tastiest for eating raw and best for cooking and baking.
Apricots: Apricot season is June and July. Select fruit that is small, firm, and plump with an orange-yellow color. Ripe apricots should yield slightly when pressed gently. Avoid shriveled apricots, as they may lack flavor.
Avocados: Avocado season is November through May. Two varieties are available – a smooth green-skinned fruit, and a darker fruit with rough skin. Most avocados are sold slightly underripe, but they ripen within a few days if unrefrigerated. Ripe avocados should yield slightly to gentle pressure but not be too soft.
Bananas: Bananas are available year round. Often the bananas sold in the produce department are underripe – hard and slightly green at the ends. These will ripen quickly. Ripe bananas are bright yellow with brown flecks, and firm but not hard. Remember that these will become overripe quickly at home. Red bananas are
brown-red in color and slightly softer than the common yellow banana.
Blueberries: Wild blueberries are available in midsummer; cultivated berries are in season from spring to fall. Buy blueberries that are plump, dry firm, and bright blue with a slight frostlike coating. Cultivated berries are fatter and fleshier than the wild variety, and less intense in flavor.
Cantaloupes: Cantaloupes are in season from June through November. Look for a smooth, shallow depression at the stem end (which means it was ripened on the vine). No part of the stem should remain on the fruit. Netting on the skin should be thick, coarse, and raised over a yellow-beige rind. Ripe cantaloupes will have a pleasant smell, and the skin will yield slightly to pressure on the end. Avoid green, bright yellow, or soft rinds.
Cherries: Cherries are in season during the summer months. The most common types – Bing, Black Tartarian, and Napoleon – should be deep red, and plump to the point of near bursting. Sour cherries, which are used primarily in baking, are smaller and pale red.
Cranberries: Peak season for cranberries is September through January. Look for firm, plump berries that bounce like rubber ball when dropped on a hard surface. Color differences generally do not affect taste.
Grapes: Green and local varieties of grapes are available in the summer and fall. Most red, purple, and black grape varieties are in season in the late summer, fall, and winter. (Seedless varieties are better for young children. For older children and adults, the seeds provide a boost of fiber.) Select grape bunches with plump, unblemished, brightly colored grapes. The clusters should be firmly attached to the stems. Avoid bunches that are off-color or have deteriorating stems.
Grapefruit: This fruit usually is available year round, but it is best in the fall, winter, and spring. Choose firm, heavy, well-rounded fruits. The thinner the skin, the juicier the fruit. Grapefruit that narrows at the stem end may be less juicy and have less flavor. Scars on the rind will not hurt the fruit. Avoid soft or dented fruit.
Honeydews, casabas and Cranshaws: These melon varieties are in season in the late summer and fall. Look for ones without green rinds. When ripe, the blossom end should yield to pressure. Honeydews and Cranshaws should have a sweet smell.
Lemons: Lemons are available year round. Choose fruit that is heavy and firm – but not hard – with a bright yellow, shiny, thin rind. Avoid greenish lemons with rough, thick skins.
Limes: Limes are available year round. Look for full, heavy fruit with a bright green color, and shiny, thin skin. Avoid limes that are yellowish and thick-skinned.
Oranges, tangelos and tangerines: Most varieties of oranges are available year round, but they are best in the fall, winter, and spring. Tangerines and tangelos are in season in the winter. Look for heavy fruit with a glossy skin that is not too thick or coarse. Greenish tinges or skin blemishes usually do not affect the taste. Discoloration around the stem end, however, may be a sign that the fruit is overripe. Spoiled oranges develop soft spots and a dull white or green mold.
Papayas: This tropical fruit is in season in May and June. Papayas should be pear shaped with a smooth-textured surface. Ripe papayas are firm, yet should yield slightly to pressure. Medium-sized orange or yellow papayas are best.
Peaches and nectarines: These fruits are available from late spring through the fall, but they are at the peak of flavor in the summer. Peaches should be golden to orange, well rounded, fuzzy, and slightly soft when pressed. Nectarines should be orange-yellow with patches of red. The area along the seam should be soft. Avoid
fruits with tan or brown spots.
Pears: Bartlett pears are in season in the late summer and fall. Other varieties, such as the Anjou, Bosc, and comice, are available in the winter. Ripe pears will yield slightly to gentle Pressure. It may be better to buy them when they are firm and allow them to ripen at home. Bosc pears are best eaten while they are somewhat firm.
Color will vary with the variety. Blemishes on the skin usually will not affect taste. Avoid pears with soft brown spots.
Pineapples: Tropical pineapples are in season year round, but they are best in the spring months. Look for large, heavy fruit with no soft spots. A small, compact crown usually denotes good fruit. Ripe pineapples emit a dull, solid sound when thumped with the finger. Protruding eyes and a sweet, delicate aroma also indicate ripeness. Avoid those from which the leaves can be pulled off easily.
Plums: Plum season is July and August. Choose fruits that are of good color – whether purple, red, blue, yellow, or green – and even round or oval shape. Ripe plums should be plump and slightly soft with smooth, unshriveled skins. Choose medium-sized plums; larger ones generally have a blander taste.
Pomegranates: These fruits are available in the fall months. Choose pomegranates that are brightly colored – ranging from yellow-red to brilliant crimson – with slightly flattened ends. Ripe ones should be firm, plump, heavy, and about the size of a large orange. Avoid those that are blemished or shriveled.
Raspberries: Some types of raspberries are in season in June and July, and other varieties in the early fall. Look for fresh, clean berries that are shiny and brightly colored. Red raspberries should be bright red, and black raspberries are blackish-purple. Avoid berries with green spots, whitish fuzzy mold, or dampness.
Rhubarb: This fruit is available from January through June from warm climates, or in the late summer in cooler areas. Choose firm, thick bright reddish stalks that are not overly stringy or fibrous.
Strawberries: Hothouse berries or berries grown in warm climates are available year round, but strawberry season in most of the country is May, June, and sometimes in September. Select bright red, shiny, well-formed berries of medium size. Large berries may have less flavor. Avoid those that are soft, moldy, or damp.
Watermelon: The height of watermelon season is summer. Look for firm, well-shaped melons with bright green color. The surface of a ripe watermelon can be scraped off easily with a fingernail. The flesh should be juicy and deep pink with no white streaks, and the seeds should be dark and shiny.
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food (part 1)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Vegetables (part 2)
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When choosing fresh vegetables, avoid those that are limp and tired looking. “Old” vegetables cannot be revived by stir-frying, boiling, steaming, or baking. Although most of the common vegetables are available year round, in season they tend to have the best food value, flavor, texture, and price.
In general, vegetables are good sources of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fiber. Most vegetables are composed mainly of water and carbohydrates. There is little or no fat in vegetables and, with the exception of legumes, they are low in protein. Most varieties of vegetables also are low in calories.
Yellow vegetables such as carrots and some varieties of squash provide valuable vitamin A (the deeper the color, the higher the vitamin content). Green, leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale, are rich in vitamins A, C, K, and riboflavin, as well as iron, calcium, and fiber. Flowering vegetables, especially broccoli, are valuable sources of vitamins A and C, riboflavin, iron, and phosphorus.
Below are some common tips on how to buy the best vegetables.
Artichokes: Artichokes are best from March through May. Select heavy, tightly closed heads with green stems and firm, unblemished leaves. Spread-out, brownish heads may be tough.
Asparagus: Peak asparagus season is March to June. Choose spears with green color extending two-thirds down the stalk. Good asparagus is firm and green with tightly closed tips. Open tips generally mean a tough stark, while soft, wrinkled spears mean the asparagus is not fresh.
Beets: Beets are available year round, but they are best from June to October. Choose beets that are smooth, round, and firm. The small or medium-sized ones tend to be most tender. Beets should be deep red; leaves should be green and unwilted.
Broccoli: Broccoli is in season and available year round in most areas. Buy firm broccoli stalks with small, unwilted leaves. The best broccoli is topped with dark green or purplish flowerets that have compact and tightly closed buds. Avoid loose, yellowish buds because these usually are tough and old.
Brussels sprouts: The best season for Brussels sprouts is late fall and winter. Choose unblemished, tightly closed heads. The best Brussels sprouts are bright green. Avoid ones that are soft, dull-looking, or have a yellowish color.
Cabbage: Good cabbage is available year round. It comes in many varieties – smooth green, crinkly green Savoy, red, and Chinese. The best heads are crisp, firm, and heavy. Avoid heads with loose, yellowish outer leaves ind blemishes.
Carrots: Carrots are available year round. Buy carrots that are well-formed, firm, smooth, and bright orange. Smaller ones usually are tastier and easier to work with. Avoid carrots that are rubbery, grayish, or have a lot of cracks and greenish color at the top.
Cauliflower: The peak of cauliflower season is fall and winter. Choose heads that are crisp and white with compact, tightly closed flowerets. Outer leaves should be firm and bright green. A purplish tinge on the heads (caused by sunlight) will not affect taste. Avoid heads with brown spots, bruises, and spreading flowerets.
Celery: Good celery is available year round. The mildest celery is light green in color, while stronger-tasting celery is darker green. Buy firm, unwilted stalks with crisp leaves. Avoid celery that is flexible or split.
Corn: Fresh corn is available in the late spring, summer, and early fall, depending on the area of the country. Buy ears that have plump, yellow or white kernels that extend from top to bottom in straight lines and do not look dry. The best ears are those that are medium sized. Husks should be moist and bright green. Local corn, which has not spent much time in transport, is much tastier than corn that has been shipped from other parts of the country.
Cucumbers: Cucumbers are available year round, but they are especially good in summer. The best are firm and slender with uniform dark-green color. Avoid those with soft spots. Many people prefer cucumbers that are not coated with wax, although sometimes unwaxed cucumbers are difficult to find.
Eggplant: August and September are the best months for eggplant. Select the heaviest and firmest ones, with surfaces that are shiny and smooth. The most common variety is the large, gourd-shaped, purple eggplant; however, white eggplant and tiny purple eggplant are sometimes available.
Green and wax beans: These vegetables are available year round, but they are especially good in the late spring and summer. The best beans are those that are crisp, firm, and bright green or yellow. Beans should snap crisply when broken. Avoid beans that are limp, wrinkled, or have brown spots.
Greens (beet, collard, dandelion, kale, mustard, Swiss chard, and turnip) : Most greens are available year round, but they are especially tasty in the late summer and fall. Select greens with bright green, crisp, unwilted leaves. Avoid those with brown edges, variations in color, and thick stems.
Lettuce (iceberg, Bibb, Boston, garden, red-leaf, escarole, chicory, watercress, endive, romaine, arugala): Most types of lettuce are available year round. Iceberg, the most popular salad lettuce, should be large, compact, and heavy. In general the darker leaves of all types of lettuce will have a stronger flavor (and more vitamins and minerals) than the lighter leaves. Choose crisp lettuce that is fresh looking with a good green or sometimes reddish-green color.
Lima beans: Fresh lima beans are available in the spring and summer. They usually come in the shell, which must be broken before the beans are squeezed out. Select fresh, firm, bright green pods that are slightly flexible and have a velvety texture.
Mushrooms: Fall and winter are the ideal times for fresh mushrooms. Of the commonly sold variety, the best are firm, white, and velvety with caps closed around the stem. Avoid mushrooms that are dark, spotted, or soft. Some less common varieties, such as morels, may be available locally. Unless well trained in identifying mushrooms, people should eat only store-bought varieties. Some wild mushrooms are poisonous.
Okra: The okra season runs from May to October. Okra pods should be bright green, tender, and pliable. The best tasting pods are small – anywhere from two to four inches long.
Onions: All kinds of onions – yellow, sweet, Spanish, Bermudas, white, shallots, and scallions – are available year round. For bulb-type onions, choose ones that are unsprouted, very firm, and rounded with dry, thin skins. Select scallions with crisp, tender, bright green tops and firm, white bottoms.
Peas: Fresh peas are best in the spring and early summer. They are usually sold in the pod and, like lima beans, require shelling. Choose firm, bright green pods. It is difficult to determine the quality of peas without cracking open a pod and tasting a pea. It should be tender and sweet. Snow peas, also called sugar or Chinese peas, are eaten pods and all. Buy flat, bright green, firm snow pea pods.
Peppers (green bell, red bell, Italian, green chili, and red chili): Most pepper varieties are available year round. Choose peppers that have a good color and a natural shine rather than a waxed surface. The sides should be smooth, firm, and unwrinkled. Red bell peppers are sweeter than green bell peppers. Sometimes, orange and yellow ones are available. Italian peppers have thinner skin and a sweet, delicate flavor. Red and green chili peppers are extremely hot.
Potatoes: Most varieties of potatoes – Idaho, russet, red new, white new, sweet and yams – are in stores year round. The best potatoes are firm, smooth, round or oval, and blemish free. Avoid potatoes with sprouts, too many eyes (tiny buds in the skin), green blotches, large cuts, growth cracks, bruises, discolored areas, or a musty smell. Sweet potatoes and yams should have an orange color and be smooth and tapered at the ends.
Radishes: Radishes are available year round. Bunches usually are best because each radish can be inspected. Select dark red, hard radishes with fresh, green leaves. Prepackaged radishes should be inspected carefully, and bags with cracked, off-color, or soft radishes should be avoided.
Spinach: Spinach is available year round. Loose, bulk spinach usually is better than the spinach that is prewashed and prepackaged. Select leaves that are crisp and medium to dark green with small, tender stems. When buying packaged spinach, make sure the leaves are fresh and not too wet or too powdery.
Squash: Summer squash (yellow, zucchini, and pattypan) is available most of the year but is best from late spring to early fall. Winter squash (acorn, Hubbard, butternut, buttercup, green and gold delicious; banana, pumpkin, and spaghetti) is available in the fall and winter months. Select summer squash that is small, firm, and smooth with bright green or yellow, shiny surfaces. Winter squash should have a hard, possibly rough, surface with few blemishes.
Sprouts: Mung bean and alfalfa sprouts, the two most common varieties, are available all year. Choose sprouts that are fresh looking, resilient, and crisp. Avoid those that are wet and slimy with a moldy smell.
Tomatoes: The best tomatoes are available in July, August, and September, but tomatoes grown in hothouses are available year round. Locally grown, vine-ripened tomatoes provide the best taste, texture, and juice. Packaged hothouse tomatoes usually are pale with hard skins and mealy textures. Small cherry tomatoes, which also are grown in hothouses, may offer better flavor in the off season. Select firm, smooth, bright red tomatoes. Avoid those with soft spots, cracks, or breaks.
Turnips and rutabagas: White turnips are available year round, and rutabagas (also called yellow turnips) are available in the fall and winter. Choose turnips that are hard and round with smooth, unblemished skins. A coating of paraffin wax may mean that a turnip has been stored for a long time.
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Tags: tips, vegetables
Note: This is the first part introduction of a multiple-posts about getting and preparing the best food.
A nineteenth-century housewife would find the modern supermarket truly overwhelming. Not only is there an endless smorgasbord of canned, boxed, bagged, frozen, and convenience foods, dairy products, fresh produce, meats, and breads, but today what the shopper sees is not always what the shopper gets. Inside a can with a label showing colorful, perfectly cut, crisp-looking green beans may be some pitiful, gray-green, limp specimens. A bag of green beans in the frozen-food section may be more nutritious than canned beans but may still lack some nutrients found in the fresh variety.
Choosing the most nourishing forms of the best food is only the first step toward good nutrition. Once the shopping has been done and the food is in the house, proper storage methods are necessary to retain vitamins and minerals and prevent the possible spread of harmful bacteria. Then, practical preparation and cooking methods are needed to keep food appetizing and wholesome.
Most American consumers buy food in one of the major supermarkets, which in the past 50 years have spread throughout the country, replacing the old-time general and specialty stores. Today’s supermarkets stock more than 10,000 different items, which can make grocery shopping a confusing task.
Choosing the best food requires knowledge, practice, and some luck. As shoppers examine mounds of green beans, piles of peaches, or stacks of tomatoes, they may search for color, firmness, size, or ripeness. As they compare one package of chicken breasts to another, they may look for color or meatiness. As they scan loaves of bread, they may test for softness, type of grain, texture, or size of the slices. Other shoppers maybe more interested in the price, quantity, and the number of additives in a product.
In general, it is best to shop the periphery of the grocery store. This is where fresh fruits and vegetables; fresh meat, poultry, and seafood; dairy products; and freshly baked breads usually are located, because of the need for refrigeration and frequent turnover. The market’s rim, therefore, contains the foods with the least processing, the fewest additives, and often the most vitamins, minerals, and food value.
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To get enough fibre eat at least two servings of fibre-rich foods at each meal – one of whole grain and one of fruit or vegetable. Below are some ideas on how to increase fibre intake.
- Use legumes such as peas, beans, soyabeans and lentils regularly to fill up meat dishes or to replace meats.
- Eat fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible and choose those with edible seeds and skins. If possible, take 2-3 servings of vegetables and 2-3 fresh fruits daily.
- Substitute wholewheat flour for white in baking and choose wholewheat bread and brown rice instead of the polished variety – they contain three times as much dietary fibre.
- Incorporate whole grain such as buckwheat, cornmeal, oats, barley, bulgur and wheatgerm in recipes whenever possible. Use whole grain cereals such as oatmeal, barn flakes and shredded wheat for breakfast two to three times per week.
- Have bean soups, fresh fruits, wholemeal crackers and biscuits for snacks.
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Tags: fibre
Because fat is packed with more than twice the calories of either protein or carbohydrates, cutting out fat is the least painful way of slashing calories. All fat intake must be trimmed, even unsaturated oils used in cooking. Remember, while saturated fat is not good for your heart, all fats and oils, regardless of saturation, contain the same number of calories.
Reducing fat intake is not difficult, if you avoid foods naturally high in fat contents, use less visible fat and oil for cooking and preparing foods, and remove excess fat and oil produced from meat and other foods during cooking. The following are tips on reducing fat intake.
- Choose more low-fat dairy products, legumes, poultry and fish and eat less red meats which contain more invisible fat. Remove poultry skin and trim all fats from meats.
- Use cooking methods that remove fat. These cooking methods are baking, grilling, steaming, roasting, stewing, poaching, boiling and microwave cooking. Pour off any excess fat produced during cooking.
- To remove fat from soups and stews, cool them in the refrigerator and then remove the solidified fat.
- Avoid deep fat frying; the calories of battered, fried chicken are three times that of grilled or boiled chicken.
- Do not smother your food with gravies, sauces and meat drippings, as they are loaded with fat and oil. Use only low fat ingredients for gravies and sauces. For example, when making curries, use thin coconut milk or substitute with milk or yogurt.
- Stir-fry meats in a non-stick wok or pan using minimal oil. Sometimes, instead of stir-frying vegetables in oil, steam or boil them first before flavouring with a little garlic or onion oil.
- To reduce the intake of saturated fat, use unsaturated vegetable oils such as soya oil and corn oil. Avoid palm oil, coconut oil, butter, ghee and lard for cooking. Replace butter with soft tub margarine.
- Cut down on butter, salad dressings and other oily condiments.
Tags: fat intake, saturated fat
