It’s Good Food Friday on ABC Charleston! Today we kicked off summer with a fruit and veggie celebration for National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month.
Why are fruits and veggies so important?
Fruits and veggies are low in calories but high in vitamins, minerals and fiber, which keeps us full! As a dietitian I am often asked what five servings per day looks like which is the recommendation for healthy adults. In general, one cup is equivalent to one serving with the exception of leafy greens will be two cups and dried fruit will be half a cup.
Veggie spotlight: Celery!
I love celery because it’s a year round crop and there is so much you can do with it besides dipping it into ranch. I shared my celery lime Agua Fresca and Healthy Buffalo Chicken Celery Boats. I used Dandy’s Fresh-cut celery which is truly is the sweetest, crispiest with the fewest strings! They even three phDs on staff who work with Mother Nature to continuously produce celery that’s this good.
There are so many ways to stuff celery from peanut butter to guacamole to hummus or buffalo chicken. It’s a great balanced snack that pairs your fiber rich veggies with protein and healthy fats. Dandy’s website, dudafresh.com, has great downloadable resources for recipe inspiration, including an e-book called “24 ways to stuff celery”.
The quintessential summer veggie: Corn!
It’s not summer without grilled corn on the cob. I shared Dandy’s super sweet corn which is non-gmo and comes in a recyclable tray – which is the first in this category. You can use corn to stuff mini peppers, add to salads and even ice cream!
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