How to Choose the Best Fruits and Vegetables

Eating the proper amounts and the right kinds of fruits and vegetables is crucial to healthy living. Nutritionists recommend eating a minimum of five one cup servings of each per day. To make sure you select healthy produce and avoid that of questionable quality, here are a few basic guidelines to assist you in your selection.

The first thing to know is that the fresher the produce the better the quality. The best place to find the freshest and best selection of produce is at farmer's markets. Most farmers harvest their produce the day before or the day of the market. They also usually use minimal pesticides. This fact in itself provides you with better health while protecting the environment.

If you are not fortunate enough to have access to a farmer's market, make sure when you go to the grocery store you take care to pick only the best looking, healthiest produce. You need to use this grocery store produce within a few days. Try to locate a grocery store that has frequent deliveries of produce. Avoid grocery stores that have an extremely cold produce section. This makes it hard to check the texture and scent of produce. Convenience and corner stores more often than not have produce of poor quality due to the fact that it is not delivered fresh daily or it is not properly stored.

The best rule of thumb when selecting produce is to check for even texture and coloration. Avoid produce with brown or black spots. This signals that the produce is old or may be insect infested. An even color tells you that the produce is ripe and fresh. Evenly textured produce is also fresher. When shopping for vegetables, check for firmness and crispness. Fruit tends to be softer. Use your sense of smell and your common sense to choose produce that you find delicious enough to eat right then and there!