You’ve just gotten home from the grocery store with a bag full of delicious produce feeling great about some healthy meals ahead. However, when you cut into that melon you find out it’s over ripe and mushy. Later you go to make your salad and the lettuce is wilted and the tomatoes are bland and have no taste.
What a waste! What are you supposed to look for when choosing the best fruits and vegetables?
Well here are some tips to help you pick the perfect produce and make your next healthy meal taste great!
First, don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Just because it’s shiny and symmetrical doesn’t mean that piece of fruit is good. Ugly looking produce with some visual imperfections are often hiding a tonne of flavour inside. Bonus, they might even be cheaper!
You can, however, judge a book by its colour. The produce that packs the most phytonutrients are often the brightest and most colourful.
You can also judge by its feel. Heavy, sturdy fruits and vegetables with taut skin and peels are the best choices.
And while we are using our senses…the nose knows so take a quick sniff. Often the more fragrant it is, the more flavourful it will be.
Ok let’s get to some specifics. I’ll start with some of the hardest to choose – the produce with thick rinds like:
Watermelon
Bigger is not better. Small round watermelons with some yellow spotting are usually sweeter. If it sounds hollow when you tap it, it’s a keeper.
Pineapple
Choose yellow over green. If the skin has some give when you gently squeeze it and you can easily pull a leaf out of the top, it’s ready to eat.
Mango
Feel is a much better indicator of ripeness than colour is when it comes to mangoes. It shouldn’t be too firm. Instead it should give slightly when gently squeezed. There should also be a fruity fragrance at the stem.
Avocado
Oh avocados they can be impossible to get right. You can up your chances by looking for a slightly soft medium sized avocado and when you pull off the stem you see a little green spot..no brown.
Next let’s look at berries. Underripe berries are tart and tough while overripe can get moldy quickly.
Strawberries
Strawberries should be bright red from top to bottom, have a healthy green top and no mold or dark spots (which will quickly spread to the other berries).
Blueberries
Look for a dark blue berries, free of stems or leaves. The berries should be plump and firm. Check the bottom and sides of the container for crushed or spoiled berries.
Now on to the veggies
Bell Peppers
A green stem is a good indication that a bell pepper is fresh. Look for unwrinkled skin and bright vibrant colours. Heavier peppers are usually juicier and have thicker walls, making them more flavorful and crunchy.
Tomato
A good tomato should have a firm flesh with just a little give. The stem end should have a sweet, earthy scent, and it should feel heavy for its size.
Zucchini
The right zucchini is firm and heavy for its size, with no soft spots.
Herbs
Choose Herbs that are vibrant and fresh, not wilted, yellow, or bruised. The leaves should be aromatic and bright in colour. Avoid black spots and moldy stems.
Now of course some produce can come into the house and end up living in the back of the drawer forgotten about for a while. It’s ok, don’t toss it just yet! Produce that is at the end of it’s shelf life make perfect additions to soups, sauces, and roasted side dishes.
Taking the time to be choosy and pick the perfect produce will ensure that your salads, snacks and veggie dishes are packed with flavour. When it tastes good, you’ll eat more enhancing your health and wellness – willpower not required.
Looking for other healthy eating tips? Find more on the blog here
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