Food Article

Fresh is best this summer

Summer fruits are starting to hit the greengrocers’ shelves – and they are bursting with goodies like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibre. Better still, they taste divine whichever way you eat them.

Scientists have proven time and again that eating plenty of fruit is one way to improve your health – inside and out. It helps to control blood pressure; prevent heart attacks, strokes and cancers; and can even improve your eyesight.

Take the humble blueberry, for example. How can such a small fruit be so good for you? For starters, they are the fifth most antioxidant-rich food available. Whether you whiz them up in a smoothie, scatter them over your breakfast cereal or throw some in a refreshing summer dessert, there are heaps of ways to add these little gems to your daily diet.

Or what about the glut of juicy melons? Watermelon, rockmelon, honeydew melon… there is nothing better on a hot summer’s day when you need instant refreshment. Fat-free and low in kilojoules, these are a great way to fill up.

Then there are the stone fruits. Nectarines and peaches are plump and juicy, ripe and ready for some lush desserts – think tarte tatin or a sublime puree to spoon over a generous dollop of ice cream.

But there’s nothing that beats a succulent mango. Whether you eat it as is, and let the juices run down your chin; or get creative and chop one up for a refreshing salsa to accompany your barbecued fish – a ripe mango is the ultimate summer fruit.

If you’ve spent all winter thinking, “I’ve got to start eating more fruit”, then you’ve got no excuses now. With the variety available in-store, you’re bound to find something that tempts your tastebuds.