By Andrea Pelin,
Project Weight Loss Staff Writer
March 25, 2009 Fruits are good for dieting because they are low in calories, have vitamins, fiber, minerals, and may help reduce the risk of heart disease, some forms of cancer, and diabetes. They also contain antioxidants that slow down the processes that damage cells and tissues.
For instance, bananas are a source of potassium, oranges and kiwi have a lot of vitamin C, and apricots have considerable amounts of vitamin A. It`s good to know how to select, store and eat the fruits in order to preserve their freshness.
Try to choose fresh fruits, in-season fruits taste better. Some fruits should be smelled before buying them because of their characteristic scent, for example if the cantaloupe (muskmelon) smells too musty you shouldn`t buy it, avocado should have a spongy texture while kiwi shouldn`t be musty. The fruits should be heavier for their size; that’s a sign they`re juicy.
You may buy dried fruits because they are rich in dietary fiber, however they also have more calories than fresh fruits so it`s good to buy only those without added sugar. Choose frozen fruits without added sugar and canned fruits in fruit juice or water but avoid fruits in sugar-sweetened syrup.
The fruits should be kept at the room temperature if you want them to be ripened, such as bananas, kiwi, nectarines, and pears. For a longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator. Oranges, cherries, and apricots may be stored for two weeks in the refrigerator but raspberries, peaches, grapes, or strawberries shouldn`t be kept in the fridge for more than a few days.
Throw away the fruits that smell or look bad. For long-term use the fruits may be frozen. Particularly, grapes, melon, berries, and cherries are well preserved by freezing. For better results, try to cut into smaller chunks the bigger fruits or remove the skin of apples, nectarines, or peaches before freezing.
Take advantage of all the nutrients from fruits and enhance their flavor by preparing them no more than an hour before serving. The fruits should be properly washed with cold water before eating. The peels of pears, apples, or other fruits that have pits contain fiber and nutrients.
Make your diet richer in vitamins by adding fruits to your breakfast cereals, cookies, doughs, or just take them instead of a snack.
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Project Weight Loss. All rights reserved.
