FRUITYLIFE: find out the properties of seasonal fruits and vegetables

During the summer, nature offers us a vast range of fruit and vegetables, to better satisfy the needs of our body in a season when, due to the heat and excessive sweating, dehydration and appetite loss are frequent. For these reasons summer produce is different from autumn and winter one: lighter, nourishing and with a higher water content, summer fruit and vegetables please the palate with their sweetness and freshness, help to maintain the proper hydration level thanks to the high water content and to fight the fatigue induced by heat thanks to their precious substances. What are the best seasonal produce? Which summer fruit and vegetables should we eat to get the best of their nutrients and properties? “Fruitylife – Fruit and vegetables, healthy and safe” project and professor Giorgio Donegani, food technology expert and member of the Supervision Committee for the project, answer these questions Apricots are ideal for the summer: low in calories and high in water they have a wealth of beta-carotene, a pro-vitamin that protects the skin from sun damage and helps tanning. “Two apricots at breakfast provide half of the Recommended Daily Intake of vitamin A” says professor Donegani. Eating apricots is a nice way to start the day: their fragrance and sweet pulp make them a favorite among children and adults. Rich in vitamins, especially Vitamin A, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and iron, apricots are ideal for anaemic people. Easy to eat in every moment of the day, apricots can be used in the preparation of jams, fruit salad, juices and centrifuged juices. Peaches are made of 90% water and are rich in nutritional properties. The high content of iron, potassium, calcium and Vitamin C make peaches a satiating, refreshing, invigorating ad restorative food, ideal to replenish mineral salts lost through sweating. Thanks to their soporific properties peaches are an ally against insomnia and, being rich in fibres, they have depurative effects, help intestinal transit and to get rid of excess liquids. Peaches are a source of fluoride, a substance that protects teeth and bones and stimulates the production of melanin, a pigment that helps tanning and, protecting skin from UV rays, has an anti-aging effect. Served in syrup, as preserve or as an original appetizer with bresaola, peaches are ideal for every kind of diet. “They are good for digestion” – says Donegani – “Peaches own their typical scent to the high amount of volatile substances, that stimulate gastric secretions making them a kind of natural digestive”. In summer there is a wide choice of fresh, colourful and tasty vegetables ideal to be eaten raw. They are perfect for a light, satiating cooking, low in calories but very beneficial to the body. Carrots, are among the most appreciated and consumed summer vegetables. Carrots are harvested in different periods of the year, but summer is the best season for harvesting and eating them. Carrots are an excellent source of antioxidants and beta-carotene, a precious help for tanning and an ally against free radicals, they strengthen the immune system, are beneficial to the cardiovascular system and are rich in mineral salts such as magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium and vitamins A, B and C. They are not only satiating, but help the cicatrisation and protect bones and vision. Handy to eat raw, they are perfect in salad, steamed or sautéed. “Carrots centrifuged juice is excellent, expecially in summer. Not only for its refreshing and re-mineralizing properties, but because it is effective in restoring balance to the intestinal flora and in fighting the typical heath related disorders” suggestsprofessor Donegani. Consumed all year round, but typical of summer, potatoes are a precious source of vitamin C, that enhance iron absorption and is a potent anti-oxidant. Potatoes have a high starch content that makes them an ideal substitute for grains in low calories diets. They also contain about 20 mineral salts like potassium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorous. Potatoes are easy to digest, with soothing and anti-congestion properties: applied raw directly to the skin help to relieve sunburn, rashes, itching and can reduce bags and dark rings under the eyes. Lightly cooked they have a depurative effect and fight water retention. Potatoes like all farinaceous food, are satiating and are a source of energy. They are ideal for side dishes, first and second courses like dumplings, gateau, pies and soufflè. To preserve, their high vitamin C content potatoes should be steamed with their skin.“Potato skin contains caiapo”– says Donegani – “a substance that helps to control glycemia. One more reason to eat this vegetable with its skin, that is very palatable”. To find out nutritional information, the calendar of seasonal produce, or discover practical, tasty and original recipes to promote daily consumption of fruit and vegetables, visit www.fruitylife.eu, created as part of the “Fruitylife – Fruit and vegetables, healthy and safe” project to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables in Europe. The project is co-funded by the European Union together with the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy, and coordinated by Alimos-Alimenta la Salute, a cooperative committed from more than 40 years to nutrition, education, environmental conservation and consumer protection projects. Alegra, Apofruit Italia, Conor, Naturitalia and Orogel Fresco are five cooperatives in the agri-food sector and are Alimos partners in the promotion and educative activities about European produces and the safety and quality of products coming from a cultivation cycle controlled in every phase.