Last year I talked about the fresh bounty of fruits and vegetable grown locally. Recently, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services updated their fruit and vegetables website. It can be found here: http://www.dhss.mo.gov:80/fruitsandveggies/
Not only is there good content on the updated site, there are many links on the site which can be found here: http://www.dhss.mo.gov/fruitsandveggies/RelatedLinks.html
In looking over the links, I found one that was fascinating and full of information. It is the Centers for Disease Control Fruits and Veggies site. It can be found here:
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/
One of the features I found incredibly informative and interesting was the Fruit and Vegetable of the month page: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/index.html
This page has a fruit and vegetable listed for each month of the year. Even better, there is a long list of previous fruits and vegetables of the month following the current year’s listing.
The current year’s listing includes a photo of each fruit and vegetable and when you click on the fruit or vegetable you are taken to a page devoted to that particular pick. I found myself recognizing fruits and vegetable that I had seen in the store but knew nothing about. Now I know, for example, that the Star Fruit (which I have often seen) has the combined flavor of plums, pineapples and lemons and is only 20 calories per serving. This is only one of many interesting and appealing fruits and vegetables described on the page.
In addition to learning about new possibilities, I also learned about old favorites. There are also recipes included for each item with a listing of additional recipes available. Nutritional information is also provided for each fruit and vegetable. I spent a couple of hours reading all this material last weekend and it was time well-spent. When I next go to our local grocery store or produce market I will be watching for some of these more exotic selections. There’s nothing wrong with making fruit and vegetable eating more of an adventure! It is also one of the best ways to promote good health through healthy eating.