Summer Fruits

Introducing new guest blogger, Shana Stull, registered dietitian from Venturepax. She is a wealth of knowledge and we are quite excited to have her on board!

Summer is officially here! The jolly jingles of January and frozen flurries of February are long gone. Ice skates wait in storage and beach towels line the back deck. Roaring fireplaces have been replaced with hotdog-laden grills.  It has been six months since Auld Lang Syne blared out of your television speakers… and six months since you promised to take steps toward improving your health.  So maybe you’re off to a slow start, that’s okay. Fortunately for you, this delightfully sunny season ushers in a spectacular array of summer fruits to make those New Year’s resolutions (or mid-year resolutions) a bit easier for you to achieve.  The wealth of fresh fruit available in summertime makes it simple to take in the daily recommendation of 2 cups of fruit (see MyPyramid.gov).
With summer in full swing, now is the time to take full advantage of the color-palette of fruit offered in your grocer’s produce section.  Or you can choose the quite popular experience of your local farmer’s market.  If you have put off your New Year’s resolution too long and are ready to increase your rating on the nutrition scale, fill your plate with some wonderful summer fruit.  Pile on vibrant color and let your tastebuds water over the treat they have coming their way.  Still on the fence about fulfilling your resolution in June and July instead of pushing it off a few more months?  Start by taking small steps toward increasing your fruit consumption.

Fruit

Here are just a few summer fruits to get you started:

• Peaches
• Pineapple
• Limes
• Kiwis
• Starfruit
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Concord Grapes
• Watermelon
• Cherries
• Blackberries
• Papayas
• Mango
• Cantaloupe

Fruit Challenge

There you have it- fourteen fruits to get you into gear.  We’re halfway through 2010; now is the time to start new traditions and reach your goal of improving your health.  Let’s take advantage of nature’s fast-food.  Below, I’ve given you four ideas to help add summer fruits to your routine.  Read over them and consider which choice you are ready to take on and once you have decided, print this page.  Check off your preference and hang it on your refrigerator – nothing to it.  It’s a great opportunity you have at your fingertips. Congratulations on taking steps toward achieving your goals!  Congratulations on a successful summer!

• I will check off three fruits from the list above that I know will be easy to add to my diet.  I will add these fruits to 3 different meals over the next 3 weeks.
• I am up for a challenge and will try two fruits this summer that I have never tasted.
• I will make a habit of adding fruit to my morning meal at least 3 days a week during the month of July.
• I will create my own smoothie recipe that includes two or more fruits.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shana Stull, RD, LD is a registered dietitian, licensed in the State of Ohio.  Shana is the Wellness Pro for Venturepax, a company dedicated to providing local outdoor opportunities for its users.  Visit Venturepax.comto start experiencing the outdoors in Cincinnati today!