Two Varieties – Sour Cherries & Sweet Cherries

Sour Cherries are excellent sources of Vitamin A (Carotene) and Vitamin C

All cherries contain terpenes, phytochemicals that may help prevent some forms of diet related cancers.

Select cherries that are firm to touch, shiny and brilliant in color. Cherries have a tendency to absorb orders, so keep covered and refrigerated.

Be Careful! Coconuts are great tasting, offer some fiber content but very high in fat – saturated fat.

Use sparingly. Sprinkle just a few flakes of coconut to add texture and taste.

When choosing a coconut, select the coconut that is crack free and appears to be full of liquid when shaken.

Cranberries are a good source of Vitamin C, and contain a level of antioxidants.

They are bitter in taste an are used in conjunction with a sweet food for taste balance.

Cranberries contain substances that appear to help prevent urinary tract infections by causing bacteria from connecting to the lining of the urinary tract..

Dried cranberries appear to be just as nutritionally powerful as the cooked or fresh ones.

Corn is considered a good complex carbohydrate. Nutritionally, yellow corn varieties offers greater nutrition than white corn varieties.

Corn is a good fiber source. One cup of cooked corn contains 7 grams of fiber.

Yellow corn offers Vitamin A while white corn is not a good source of Vitamin A at all.

Most people overcook corn. Corn should only be cooked minimally, usually a few minutes to retain its flavor.

Cucumbers have a 96% water content and as a result don’t offer really much in the form of nutrition. They Do Taste Good!

A member of the squash family, cucumbers have some potassium and minimal amounts of fiber, folic acid or Vitamin C.

Try summer and winter squash in salads in place of cucumber. Winter squash is more nutritious than summer squash. Winter squash is loaded with carotenoids.

Carotenoids are cancer fighters.

One lemon offers 83% of the RDA of Vitamin C and 5 grams of Dietary Fiber.

Don’t discard the lemon peel. The zest offers cancer protection. Add the zest in homemade salad dressing or simply to a glass of water to gain the benefit.

Because Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant use lemon zest and lemon juice often in your salads. Vitamin C helps in preventing LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) from oxidizing.

One study from Italy suggest that lemons contain a chemical called Lem1 that thwarts the signs of aging even better than Vitamin C.

Vitamin C disappears when heated and the nutrients also vanish. Squeeze lemon juice on your food just before eating to get maximum benefit.

Mushrooms are fat-free and very low in calories. They have a high glutamic acid content which may boost the immune function.

Mushrooms are the only plant food that provides Vitamin D. This is of particular importance to lactose intolerant people who seek Vitamin D sources other than dairy products.

Some mushrooms are excellent sources of potassium. ½ cup of dried shiitake mushrooms has more potassium than a banana.

Mushrooms might be a good cancer fighter. Shiitake, oyster and maitake varieties make help cut your risk.

The onion family includes varieties including leeks, garlic, scallions, and leeks. Consumption of these products will help reduce the risk of heart attack.

Onions contains Quercetin which helps prevents LDL cholesterol from oxidizing in the artery walls.

Add the onion’s green tops to your salads because they are loaded with Vitamin C and beta carotene.

Onions may help lower blood pressure and prevent clotting.

An average-sized orange contains 70mg of Vitamin C which is more than the RDA recommended for adults.

The membrane of oranges which is found between the segments offers a significant amount of pectin, a soluble dietary fiber which aids in controlling spikes in blood cholesterol .

½ cup of fresh squeezed orange juice has about the same as the orange itself. Use fresh squeezed orange juice for salads.

Oranges offer multiple wellness benefits. One orange has 237 mg of potassium, a nutrient that helps to keep your blood pressure controlled. One orange offers 20% of the RDA of folate,

Oranges and orange juice are super ingredients for homemade salad dressings.

Peaches are naturally low in calories and a god source of dietary fiber.

One peach contains about 10% of the RDA of Vitamin C (7mg).

Peaches are a great food that aids in keeping your colon clean.

Other benefits from eating peaches include: (a) Helps with good digestion, (b) helps hemorrhoids, (c) bolsters your immune system, (d) Natural nutrients found in peaches are cancer fighters.

Never peel fresh pears. Pears contain about 10% of the RDA of Vitamin C, but the majority of C is in the pear’s skin.

Pears are also a good source of folate, potassium, iron and pectin.

Cellulose, an insoluble fiber helps promote normal bowel function is also found in abundance in pears.

Use fresh pears in salads. Dried pears are calorie dense and high in sugar. Canned pears have lost most of the Vitamin C because of the peeling and the canning process, and canned pears can be high in calories given they are often packed in syrup.

½ cup of fresh raspberries provide 25 of the RDA of Vitamin C.

Seeds in raspberries contain insoluble fiber that may aid in preventing constipation.

Raspberries are high in pectin content, and contain ellagic acid a bioflavonoid that might help in prevent certain cancers.

Grapes are a popular snack food and dessert. Naturally low in calories, grapes contain bioflavonoids. Quercetin, a plant pigment is believed to regulate blood cholesterol and also reduce the actions of platelets, blood cells that cause clotting.

Macular degeneration is the #1 cause of vision loss as we age. Red grapes are an excellent source of leutin and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that may offer protection against macular degeneration.

Nutrients in grapes, especially red and black grapes may offer relief if you are a kidney stone sufferer.

Strawberries are loaded with the antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene has cancer fighting properties.

The same antioxidants that fight cancer also provides protection to your heart. Strawberries reduce levels of blood cholesterol by about 10%.

Strawberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C and a good source of folate and potassium.

Naturally low in calories, the seeds in strawberries provide insoluble fiber.

Watermelons are flavorful and sweet, yet very low calories. A ripe watermelon should rattle inside when shaken, because the seeds loosen from the fruit as the melon ripens.

Watermelons contain pectin, a soluble fiber that aids in keeping blood cholesterol levels balanced.

Lycopene, a carotenoid is found in abundance in watermelons and is thought to be a strong prostate cancer fighter.

Peas are high in protein and an excellent source of pectin.

Legumes and peas are both high purines which can cause a gout attack for people having this disease.

Green peas are low calorie and low in fat compared to other high protein foods.

Peas provide a complete protein when served with grains.

Carrots are loaded with Vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant that guards our eyes against cancer causing free radicals.

Carrots contain two carotenoids, beta carotene and alpha carotene which provides protection against cancer and heart disease.

Fiber that in abundance in carrots might lower your cholesterol as well. Carrots are a near perfect food. Shredded carrots adds color, crunchiness and taste to any salad.