Summer is finally here, and that means we can finally enjoy a rainbow of delish fruits and vegetables in their natural state. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to get vitamins and minerals. One-a-day eat your heart out!

So here is a list of amazing fruits and vegetables that summer is bringing to us.

Apricots

Oh, boy did I miss fresh apricots. They are the perfect fruit for snacking and they taste amazing with some almond butter. Plus the beta-carotene and vitamin A make them even better.

Blackberries

The perfect source for manganese! Sure, blackberries are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C and fiber, but we have to give them to most credit for manganese. 100g of blackberries give us 29% of the daily recommended value of manganese. Where else can you get that kind of service?

Blueberries

Free radicals you have FINALLY met your match. Not only do blueberries taste like heaven, but they also are heaven for our bodies. They slow the aging process and they can even reduce the decline suffered by Alzheimer’s patients. No wonder they call it a super-food.

Mangoes

I hope one day they discover that mangoes make you look young forever. This would explain why I can’t stop eating them and an excuse to eat even more of them. For now, I’m happy that they have a lot of vitamin-C, folate and fiber.

Peaches

Can you think of a better desert that fresh peaches and cottage cheese? It’s like eating cheesecake minus the calories. Peaches are a great way to cut a sweet craving and not feel guilty afterwards.

Raspberries

Another berry to love. And boy do we have a lot of reasons to. Folic acid, antioxidants and vitamin-C are just a few of the reasons. My personal favorite is the fact that they make Greek yogurt taste like ambrosia. Don’t you agree?

 Watermelons

I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I saved the best for last, but definitely it is close to that. I can’t think of a better way to end a hot summer day than with a wedge of watermelon. It’s filling (lots of water), it’s sweet and you feel like you burn more calories by chewing it than eating it. Someone needs to get the memo and create more fruits like this!

 

Avocados

Ok, so avocados are technically a fruit, but can you really imagine having an avocado milkshake? It turns out that it is a very popular drink in Indonesia where they blend milk, avocado and chocolate syrup for a decadent drink. I am not sure how I feel about that…Actually, I do! I like my avocados in guacamole, salads and sandwiches.  While avocados are grown year round now, they taste the best in summer when it is their typical harvest period.

 Cucumbers

Another vegetable sent from above. Cucumbers are practically 99% water which makes them one of my favorite veggie on earth (shhh…don’t tell the other vegetables)! They are great in salads or used for dipping in hummus or layering in a healthy sandwich. Their refreshing taste makes cucumbers a perfect date for almost any food.

Radishes

Great things do come in small packages. They are loaded with vitamin-C and folate and they give salads and amazing taste. Spicy, yet sweet and crunchy, they are just enough to satisfy us when we have the munchies.

Radishes usually start to appear in spring and last until mid summer so enjoy them why they last.

 Tomatoes

We often forget two things about tomatoes: one, they are not a vegetable, they are a fruit, and two they are a summer veggie (ok, fruit…now I’m confused). Despite the fact that we can enjoy tomatoes year round, they are actually naturally harvested in summer. To get the real taste and vitamins try to enjoy as many tomatoes as you can during the summer months. The best way to get all the nutrients (vitamin-A for example) is to eat them raw in salads and sandwiches. My personal favorite is ripe fresh tomatoes and white cheeses such as feta and fresh mozzarella…I can’t think of a tastier combination!

Zucchini

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Barbecue of course! What were you thinking??? Zucchini is a type of squash that can be eaten in a variety of ways, but the best way is to grill it. Sprinkle a little oregano, a dash of salt, and a drop of olive oil and you just made the perfect summer side-dish. The awesome intake of Riboflavin and vitamin B6 are not bad either.