Fruits are the parts of plants that hold the seeds. Many plants rely on animals to carry seeds away from the parent plant, and have evolved with a wide array of ways to attract their helpers. Bright colors, tantalizing aromas and flavors appeal to humans as well as to many other species of mammals, birds and insects.
Fruits are loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Fruits are bulky foods, with lots of fiber and water so they are filling without contributing a lot of calories.
Fresh, raw fruits usually have the highest nutritional value, but frozen, canned and dried fruits retain plenty of their nutrients as well. Just choose as wide a variety as possible and eat several servings of fruits every day. Eat the peel if it's edible; vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are often concentrated in or near the skin.
Take advantage of the wide variety of fruits available in virtually every market; don't limit yourself to just apples, oranges and bananas. Count the number of different kinds of fruit you eat this week, then try to eat twice as many different ones next week.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Most fruits contain a lot of
sugar, but that does not mean
they should be avoided by diabetics
or others who are concerned
about sugar intake. No one should
miss out on all the nutrients
found in fruits; just eat them with
other foods to avoid the rise in
blood sugar that occurs in some
individuals if fruit is eaten all by itself.
