Don’t Forget Your Fruit

Summer and fall are great seasons to eat fresh fruits from your local farmers market and Hy-Vee stores.

Not only does fruit taste absolutely delicious, but it provides many health benefits as well. Most fruits are low in calories and high in nutritients and can play a part in reducing health risks.

Recommended fruit intake depends on age and gender but for most adults ranges between 1 ½ to 2 cups daily, according to choosemyplate.gov. Here are some other fruit facts:

• Fruit that’s part of an overal healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers.
• Fruits rich in fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
• Fruits rich in potassium can help reduce blood pressure (bananas, prune juice, dried peaches and apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and orange juice).
• Fruits are packed with nutrients, ranging from vitamin C to folate and potassium.

Helpful Tips

Hy-Vee Dietitian Anna Schroeder has a few tips to help you eat more fruit:

• Keep a bowl of fresh fruit at the ready on your table or counter.
• Cut up fruit and refrigerate for later or buy prepackaged or precut fruits at the store. Hy-Vee has many options to choose from.
• Try to incorporate more fuits into your snacks, including dried fruit.
• Top your cereal or oatmeal with banana slices or fresh berries.
• Add fruit to your main meal (pineapple or peaches on kabobs, apples in a salad).