Is Your Produce Fresh?
By Sara Butler
Eating a balanced diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables is important. Fresh produce is essential to your health since fruit and vegetables at their peak ripeness contain the essential vitamins and nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Here are some tricks and tips to help you find the freshest produce.
Strawberries
Strawberries are bright red, so you may think the brighter the color, the better it is. That’s not necessarily true. The best way to tell if a strawberry is ripe is to give it the sniff test. Use your nose and give it a whiff. If it smells sweet, then it most likely is. If not, give it a pass.
Spinach
When it comes to spinach, you’re better off judging it not on what it looks like, but what it doesn’t look like. You want to avoid spinach that has wilted leaves, browning or yellowing on the edges or any spinach bunch that smells musky or sharp. If it’s a deep green and crispy, then you’re good to go!
Apples
You may think all apples are created equal, but that’s not the case. If you really want to get the best apple, then give it a squeeze. If it’s really hard, then you’re probably not going to get the sweet, juicy apple you’ve been craving. Conversely, if it’s soft and mushy then it’s nearing the end of its shelf life. Find something in-between mushy and hard and always make sure to avoid bruised, spotted, or indented fruit. And if the apple smells a little bit like vinegar, then give it a pass.
Pears
Pears are a bit tricky. They’re not a fruit that ripens on the vine, so it’s hard to tell just by looking if a pear is at its peak or not. A great way to get the perfect pear is to push on it just a little where the stem and the fruit meet. If it yields a bit then you’ve probably got a sweet, juicy, delicious pear on your hands.
Peaches and Nectarines
When it comes to peaches and nectarines, you must pay attention to the background color and the color around the stem. If it’s a creamy gold, then you’re golden. If it’s green or yellow, then it’s not ready for you just yet. Note the weight of the fruit too because the heavier it is, the juicier it will be inside. Just don’t pick fruit that’s too squishy.
If you're going to eat fresh produce, then make sure you're getting your money's worth by choosing the best fruit and vegetables you can!
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Arvada, Colo.
