June is national fruit and vegetable month

With restaurants on every corner it is easy to forget the enjoyment that fruits and vegetables can bring. Fewer and fewer people cook foods at home, and when they do it is often processed items that come out of a box or a bag. Our busy lives sometimes push us to “cut corners” but the beauty of fruits and vegetables is that many of them can be eaten raw, so little to no prep time is required. The different colors indicate different nutrients. Here are some delicious, hassle-free ideas for raw fruits or vegetables, listed by color and nutrient:

• Purple/resveratrol: Grapes (some people like to eat them frozen in the summer months). Add shredded beets to sandwiches.
• Blue/anthocyanins: Blueberries
• Green/folate: Leafy greens, chopped celery, broccoli, cucumber, or avocado
• Yellow/flavonoids: Chopped bananas, oranges
• Orange/beta-carotene: Chopped carrots, mango.
• Red/lycopene: Watermelon chunks, tomato slices drizzled with basil.
• Brown/fiber: Add whole grains or beans to soups or salads.

Fruits and vegetables contribute vitamins, protein, enzymes, antioxidants, minerals, fiber, polyphenols and a host of other wonderfully beneficial nutrients not found in packaged foods or animal products.

The more fruits and vegetables we add to our daily plates and snacks, the healthier we’ll be and the better we’ll be able to handle our demanding schedules. Switching to live foods and supplementing with StemFoods’ all-natural, superfood formulas is a great way to enhance your life, get more energy and feel better.