Living a healthy lifestyle requires consistent and careful attention. This is especially true when it comes to the foods you eat.
Fresh, locally-grown produce offers a wealth of flavor and nutrition. It also often contains more vitamins and minerals than supermarkets produce. Make a habit of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Vegetables
Vegetables provide essential nutrients like fiber, potassium, and vitamins to our bodies. They can also help lower cholesterol, protect against diseases, and help with weight maintenance. Choose a variety of vegetables in many colors to get the best mix of beneficial plant chemicals.
It’s important to differentiate between a vegetable and a fruit. Technically, a vegetable is any edible part of an herbaceous plant—plants with soft stems like grasses and lettuce—while the fruit is the fleshy, seed-bearing parts of trees or shrubs.
Whether you are new to the industry or a seasoned produce professional, you must have a firm grasp of food safety and handling procedures. Achieving these goals requires strategy, tough calls, and a general understanding of food safety principles that can be applied to all aspects of the supply chain.
Fruits
Fruits provide a variety of nutrients that are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories. They are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, fiber, and potassium. The USDA recommends that adults consume 2-4 whole fruits daily.
The fresh produce Medley, FL contains the highest beneficial plant chemicals and tastes best. Look for bright, perky bunches of leafy greens and herbs, firm and crisp berries, and vibrant fruits. Avoid any that show signs of rot or are limp or wilting.
Remember that there is a fine line between what qualifies as a vegetable and what constitutes a fruit. For example, rhubarb is technically a root vegetable but is often treated as a fruit because it’s used in desserts. The same holds for acorn squash and zucchini. They both fall under the vegetable category but are differentiated because acorn squash is allowed to mature fully and, therefore, has hard, thick skin. At the same time, zucchini is picked before it’s ready so it remains more tender and delicate.
Herbs
Fresh herbs offer a vibrant burst of flavor to food and important phytonutrients that can help keep consumers healthy. These foods are a great source of vitamin C and vitamin K, which aid in blood clotting, as well as potassium, calcium, and magnesium, which support bone health and lower the risk for osteoporosis.
Look for bright, perky bunches of leafy greens, ideally without wilting or discoloration. Rinse the leaves by plunging them into a bowl of cold water and swishing them around. Pat dry in a salad spinner or with clean tea towels, patting delicate leaves gently.
