Welcome to Part III of IV. This is the Summer collection. You can typically find these fruits and vegetables in season from June - August in most U.S. climates. I chose a handful of fruits and vegetables to encourage you to step out of your comfort zone (try something new) and I also wanted to shared more recipes for various veggies and fruit for those who have expressed the need. You can find part II (Spring) here and part I (Winter) here.
Reminder: Why do we want to eat produce that's grown in season?
1) Higher nutrient value; they fully ripen
2) Lower impact on the environment; reduce food miles
Bonus:
3) Costs less!
Plus - You may be able to support local farmers! This puts more money back into your local economy! #shopsmall #shoplocal
You may know that I advocate for families to eat more fruits and vegetables daily. Will you partner with me by challenging yourself to eat FIVE. That is, five different fruits and five different veggies every day! Is this hard? Depends. Is it worth it? Well, your life may depend upon it! Let's choose real, colorful food by way of fruits and vegetables (and a variety from good food sources). It could very well promote healing and recovery in our wellness journey. Woohoo!! Let's hear it for whole food nutrition!!
If you're struggling to try something new because you're eating the same 2 or 3 veggies (or fruit) day in and day out, you may be interested in learning that I was just like you a handful of years ago. (Learn more here.)
You can also download my free eGuide (no affiliations mentioned) if you'd like to incorporate more colorful foods by way of fruits and vegetables in your regimen. (Click here.)
Lastly, you can always bridge the gap with dehydrated fruits and veggies that are non-GMO and NSF Certified. The starches have been removed making the capsules a good choice for most. There are 30 whole foods! More information here.
I encourage you to set a new goal every week: Try a new fruit or a new vegetable. Go online, find a recipe, learn how to clean or prep it, and how to make it (if it needs cooking). Open your mind to the possibilities! Always look for ways to keep the whole food as close to its natural state as possible.
The aforementioned served as a catalyst for me to change and nowadays I really enjoy fruits and veggies. Seriously. People ask me what I'm always thinking about and my answer is usually vegetables or cookies (you know since I'm being honest here).
How to find fruits and vegetables in season in your specific region - visit Sustainable Table and for a list of produce generally available, go to Fruits and Vegetables: More Matters.
Lastly, you may want to see if there are any farmer's markets in your area or community support agriculture programs or co-ops (like Azure Standard or Frontier), visit Local Harvest. You can Google the co-op programs and find the site and drop off information for your city, if available, on their websites.
Ready? Let's dig in! =)
Vegetables!
Beets
Bell Pepper
Corn
Cucumber
Eggplant
Tomatoes
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| Learning and Yearning: Ratatouille using several veggies above (eggplant, okra, tomatoes)! |
Fruits:
Berries - all kinds
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| Purposeful Nutrition: Currants an Old Fashioned Fruit |
Melon - all types
Figs
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| Bedrock Eats: Primal Figs (with goat cheese and prosciutto) |
Apples
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| Rules of Dieting: Apple (and Blueberry) Jam |
From this summer collection, in the comments, share your favorite fruit and vegetable. I'd love to hear a memory about why these are your favorites, too. Some memories I have with the above: Sliced tomatoes with salt and pepper will always remind me of my late grandma. She'd always ask if you wanted sliced tomatoes with every dish she'd prepare! Blackberries also remind me of my childhood. I loved finding these gems planted in the yards of my neighbors. YUM!
Did you notice something similar between this collection and the Spring one? Hint: It's a fruit that grows 75% of the time in places like California. Any guesses? If you know, comment below. It was worth sharing some of the recipes twice! Yes, I've made some of them and if you missed it the first time, well, you'll want to check them out for sure! Go get to making! =) And I bet you may guess that one of the recipes above will definitely be featured in the Fall collection. Crisp pickings!
Reminder: All recipes shared above are with permission. Each blogger has given me permission to share an image from their blog and each link takes you back to their blog. You can look up the ingredients and recipe from their site. =)
Summer is also a time that many turn to easy and cold prep meals. Some tools that may help you in your planning: mason jars, colander, citrus squeezer, microplane, pickling tools, and bowls.
*** Stay tuned
The Fall (Part IV) collection will publish around mid-to-late October. ***
Great news! As a reminder: Through the end of the year, I’ve doubled the donation amount for non-profits! When you sponsor a non-profit through one of my 3-week online Nutrition Simplified classes, I will donate 50% of the proceeds! View the flier for more details.
Thank you very much for your generosity in helping to offset the costs of website upkeep, so that I can keep sharing wellness resources with my community and beyond.
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Choose, eat, and live well! =)
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