By Taylor Sutton, MS, RD
United Supermarkets’ Lifestyle Desk
There is so much summer produce goodness hitting the shelves and we’re here to highlight a few of their nutritional profiles as well as how to use them in your lifestyle.
Local Lonestar Melons: Coming in at a whopping 64 calories per cup, 16 grams of carbohydrate, 1.4 grams of fiber and about 90% water using this local and seasonal fruit brings a powerful bang for your buck when creating meals and snacks. You can flavor your water with them, puree it up into a refreshing smoothie, dice it and top a savory protein like chicken or shrimp, even top it onto cottage cheese for a boost in fluid as well as carbohydrates for a well rounded snack. With it being about 90% water, which most melons are, this fruit can help you stay hydrated along with your water intake during the day.
Mango: A serving of mango is about 3/4 cup and is packed with 70 calories, 19 grams of carbohydrate, and contains 7% of your recommended daily fiber intake. It provides 50% of your daily dose of vitamin C, 8% Vitamin A and B6. While there are 20 different vitamins and minerals that are found in mangos, it also touts being a good source of folate and copper. Mango gives us the sunny tropical vibes so throwing them into a chicken dish, or a mango coconut rice situation sends us off to the nearest island. If savory isn’t your thing then adding fresh mango to your choice of high fiber cereal or yogurt is an excellent breakfast option. You can even dip this in tajin as a snack for a sweet and spicy treat.
Cherries: 1 cup of cherries boasts a nutrient profile of 90 calories, 22g of carbohydrates, 3g of fiber, 2g of protein, and 15% of your daily value (DV) of calcium. Studies span the board for the benefits of cherries’ anti-inflammatory properties due to their polyphenols and vitamin c content. Some other things these nutrients do outside of protecting against inflammation are protect against cardiovascular disease (CVD), heart disease, diabetes, lowering blood pressure, cancer, and obesity. Even with the calcium available in cherries, some studies have looked at reducing joint pain in people with osteoarthritis. Some of the other benefits include recovery (specifically with tart cherries, and tart cherry juice), boost cognitive function, and sleep quality with their rich tryptophan content. With all of these benefits it’s hard not to love up on this fruit. Using cherries in the diet is much like the two fruits above, it can go sweet or savory and can be used at any meal or snack. We love stuffing them in a cherry and blue cheese pork tenderloin, grilling them with corn and steak and topping them on a salad or lightly covering them with chocolate like the recipe below.
Chocolate Covered Cherries
Ingredients
1 lb. fresh cherries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Optional: crushed pretzels, chopped walnuts, course sea salt, unsweetened shredded coconut
Directions
1. Wash cherries and place on a cookie sheet lined with a clean towel. Dry thoroughly. This is very important. If the cherries are not completely dry, the chocolate will not stick.
2. Line a large plate or cookie sheet with wax paper.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips. Start with 20 seconds on high; stir, continue for 10 seconds if needed.
4. Dip cherries in chocolate, then in other toppings if desired. Place dipped cherries on wax paper lined plate.
5. Let cherries sit for about 30 minutes to allow chocolate to set
