Substance Over Beauty

We know you're a regular reader of this blog and are becoming a smart consumer and wise when it comes to choosing your food. We'll give you credit for doing the majority of your grocery shopping along the edges of the stores. Well done!! As we've discussed before, most of the products sold in the interior aisles are processed foods. And, we know processed foods should be avoided.

When you're shopping about the produce section how do you choose the right fruits and vegetables? We have a few tips (with one surprise at the end):

Choose organic - No big surprises there. Yes, organic is more expensive and it is also nutritionally more available for your body, so can eat less and still feel satisfied.

Choose seasonally - Choosing fruits and vegetables in their local, natural seasons are better for the environment. If you eat seasonally, the food travels a smaller distance and lessens the impact on the earth.

Choose green - Most people don't get enough dark, leafy greens in their diet. Choose these nutritional dynamos (kale, chard, spinach) for several meals each week.

Choose small (psst, this is the surprise) - Many fruits and vegetables have most of their nutritional benefit in the skins and peels. We Americans have been "marketed to" to think bigger is better. In actuality, the opposite is true for our food. Most of an apple's fiber content is contained in the skin. The skin of a blueberry holds the anthocyanin (a cancer-fighter). Therefore, eating smaller apples and the tiny blueberries gives your body a better ratio of good skin to meaty insides. Same holds true for many other fruits and veggies. So, when you're cruising the produce section of your grocer, be sure to choose small. Small is a better choice for your health. Besides, choosing the smaller produce supports the underdog of the produce section.

Go ahead and show the world -- substance over beauty!