In Season! Fruits and Vegetables (Summer), Part III

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! =)

Apple #Fig Muffins #recipe - complements of #AHO

Complements of Abundant Harvest Organics (AHO), I'm sharing their recipe for Apple Fig Muffins that my son and I made (modifications are annotated by an asterisk).

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour 
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup * coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup * organic vanilla yogurt 
1 egg beaten
1/3 cup melted butter 
1 1/2 cups of chopped figs 
2 cups of shredded (or thinly sliced) apples 

Topping:
1 T melted butter
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup * coconut sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine egg, yogurt, and butter in a small bowl. Beat together until all is moist. Stir in apples and figs. 

Spoon batter into baking cups using an ice cream scoop to fill. Combine the topping ingredients and spoon over muffins, pressing down in batter a bit.

It makes 18 regular sized muffins. 

Bake in 375 degree oven for 22-25 minutes depending on the size or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

I do receive a small commission from Amazon.com if you purchase anything through their site using one of the links above (read my full advertising disclosure here). 

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! =)