Let’s get this out of the way right from the start—I am a self-proclaimed Veggie and Fruit Fanatic! I love produce all year around. However, I must confess—once summer sets in—I am in my glory savoring vegetables and fruits with EVEN more enthusiasm and gusto. Do you get excited for summer veggies and fruits? No matter if the answer is Yes, No or Meh…we will spend both July and August exploring summer veggies and fruits in our TKP newsletter series called “Celebrating the Bounty of Summer Vegetables and Fruits”.
Fresh summer produce really does it all. It is beautiful, versatile, tastes great, lends itself easily to any situation, and helps you stay cool, hydrated, all while it is jam-packed with nutrition.
Fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables are a great source of fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and compounds that can help fight inflammation to keep you feeling good. We will explore more about this in this article and upcoming articles for July and August…stay tuned.
We are particularly fortunate because SC County has such abundant produce grown right here! Whether you’re growing your own, heading to the farm, or visiting your local farmer’s market or grocery store, you’ll be able to find so much great produce especially in the Summer.
For this first installment of the Summer Series—let’s talk about the power of veggies.
Eating plenty of vegetables may be one of the simplest ways to improve health and well-being. This is a Truth. However-it can still be challenging for some to embrace vegetables and appreciate them for all that they have to offer. I have heard people say “I have to get through eating my vegetables” about tasks, chores or projects that they don’t want to do or that feel like drudgery or punishment. This saddens me because this paradigm is one that we need to change. If we learn ways to enjoy vegetables in ways that first of all TASTE great and we focus on how GREAT we feel when we eat lots of vegetables—it is a game-changer for our health and quality of life. Vegetables sometimes get short shrift, so I am a bit of a self-proclaimed Vegelante (as my friend, the author of In Praise of Veg refers to people who promote, preach and praise vegetables). As the TKP Nutrition Care Manager (and Vegelante)—I am proud of the vegetables that our TKP clients receive. Chef Amanda curates the vegetable dishes, our teens prepare them and our Delivery Angels bring these nutritious and delicious vegetables to our clients to explore, savor and enjoy each week. Heard from TKP clients: “I have NEVER had broccoli made that way before and it was amazing” or “I thought that I did not like fennel or cabbage but TKP proved that I do!” These are examples of how if we open our mind and our heart to new flavors, new preparation methods, new herbs and spices—vegetables can rise to the highest level of flavor (all while giving our bodies the incredible benefits that come with a diet rich in vegetables).
So, now I have set the stage (or maybe the table) for our upcoming newsletter installments. Stay tuned—in the next article, I will spotlight some a variety of vegetables and suggest ways to enjoy while you celebrate the bounty of summer produce.
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