Celebrate National Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Month by adding colorful fruits and vegetables to your plate!
Use the RAINBOW color trick while grocery shopping and also to help plan out your summertime meals.
Red: Watermelon, tomatoes, and red peppers provide the body with high amounts of vitamin A and C, manganese, and fiber. They also contain lycopene, which has been linked to protecting the body against prostate and breast cancer.
Orange: Oranges, squash, cantaloupe, carrots, and sweet potatoes contain alpha and beta-carotene, which help bones, eyes, and immune system healthy.
Yellow: Corn and yellow squash will provide the body with rich Vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene, which all help prevent premature loss of eyesight.
Green: Spinach and avocadoes are rich with many nutrients that prevent dangerous cancerous cells from forming. These dark greens also contain folate, that increases cell reproduction and lutein, which helps with eyesight.
Blue, Indigo,and Violet: Strawberries, radishes, and raspberries all contain anthocyanins and proanthocyanins nutrients that help optimize brain and heart functions.
How to keep your Produce Fresh
Now that the fridge is stocked with healthy fruits and vegetables, the next step is learning how to keep them as fresh as the first day. Here are four tips to help keep your fruits and vegetables as fresh as possible from the produce section to your dinner plate!
Tip One: Always buy the heaviest produce.
When fruit is light in weight it means that it has experienced dehydration, which is a serious issue with produce. Fruit that is heavier will be fresher and juicier to consume!
Tip Two: Know where to store fruits and vegetables.
Be sure to immediately place your produce in the fridge when you get home. Once something is cut, be sure to store it in the fridge until it is ready to be consumed.
Fruits and Veggies More Matters suggests the FIFO rule, which means First In, First Out. As it sounds, it means to eat the oldest first and continue to rotate to ensure freshness and reduces the risk of waste.
Tip Three: Learn how to perfect produce ripening.
The infographic displays standards of ripening for different types of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Tip Four: Know when to wash your produce.
Do not wash your fruits and vegetables until you are ready to eat! If you wash beforehand and place the produce in the fridge, the water will cause premature skin breakdown, which can lead to decay and mold.
Be sure to stop by your local Sparkle Market to stock up on all your fresh fruits and vegetables!
The Great Groceries Cart 
[…] Store fruit in the bottom drawer, where there is lower humidity. Fruit can be placed in plastic bags to ensure longer life. Do not keep them close to the meats. Now that you know how to store it, learn how to keep it fresh. […]