Food! (Part 4/6)

Berries, and Kiwis, and Bananas…oh my!

Today’s topic?

Fruit!

Fruit is such and important part of our diet as it provides necessary vitamins and natural sugars good for energy and fighting off illness.

Let’s start at a very popular topic these days…

Organic vs. Not

First, what does “organic” mean?  If a food is organic, that means that is was raised, processed, or grown using natural pesticides and fertilizers rather than synthetic ones.  Organic food also does not contain genetically modified organisms.  This is why organic food is usually smaller and doesn’t “look” as good as other food.  (It tastes better though!) 

Organic is like the difference of growing flowers versus store bought flowers.  Although equally beautiful, have you noticed that home-grown flowers smell better and last longer…?  (This is just an illustration, not a comment about “organic flowers.” ;-) )

“But organic food is more expensive!” you claim!  Yes…it is. 

Here is the rule of thumb if you are interested in not always buying organic fruit:  

If the fruit has an absorbent skin, buy it organic, as the fruit has actually absorbed the toxins.

For example, ALWAYS buy organic blueberries, but you don’t have  to buy organic bananas.  A good rule of thumb is asking yourself, “do I eat the skin?”  (Now, if you are like me, you don’t care for some apple skins, but most people eat the skin…I think you get my point…)  So, do you eat the skin of a pineapple?  Haha, no.  Do you eat the skin of a strawberry?  Yes!  So, buy organic strawberries, but you don’t have to buy organic pineapple.  The same rule applies to vegetables. 

So what fruits to eat?

You want fruits that are high in healthy vitamins and minerals.  We are looking for anti-oxidant power and Vitamin C!

Here are my favorites!

Blueberries

Strawberries

Kiwis

Cranberries

Bananas

Did you notice that oranges and other high citrus fruits are not on my list?  That is because the other fruits have just as much, if not more, amounts of Vitamin C among other helpful nutrients.

Also, citrus tends to be harsh on skin.  So if you have a tendency for acne, try to minimize your citrus intake.  BUT DON”T SKIP OUT ON FRUIT!

Wonderful ways to enjoy your fruit!

-The fruits I mentioned above (aside from bananas) tend to be a bit sour.  Use some yogurt or a light sprinkle of brown sugar.

-Toss some on your morning cereal, oatmeal, granola, etc.!

-Jazz up any green salad with cut up berries, apples, pears, or mandarin oranges!

Thanks for reading and keep sending me your recipes!  I’m collecting so many wonderful ideas for the last blog in this series!