Shopping Tips for Fruits & Veggies

Looking to buy organic? Sticking with conventionally grown produce? Steinman shares some shopping tips.

1. Buy locally grown produce. Find your nearest farmers’ market here.
2. If buying at the supermarket then buy in season. Out-of-season are more likely to be imported which can lead to loss of nutrients during the delivery process or presence of dangerous chemicals not used in the U.S.
3. Wanting to eat out-of-season produce? Try frozen fruits and veggies that have not been thawed and refrozen. Check this by shaking the package to hear if they loosely clatter. If they are all stuck together then that’s a bad sign. Be careful because high freezer temperatures result in nutrient loss.
4. Canned fruits and veggies have lower levels of pesticides but higher levels of lead. Sugar or salt is often added and there may be slight vitamin losses but other than that canned produce can have equal the nutrients of fresh produce.
5. Opt for unprepared foods rather than precut because oxidation occurs and causes major loss in nutrients. Wait to prepare until right before you eat. If you do cut them ahead of time, squeeze lemon juice on the cut surfaces. The acidity reduces oxidation.

Where I am there are quite a few farmers’ market but they are still a drive away. Msnbc.com  helped me find a closer place to shop by listing America’s 10 healthiest supermarkets. Click here to view the list.

Steinman, David. Diet for A Poisoned Planet How to Choose Safe Foods for You and Your Family. New York: Ballantine Books, 1990. Print..