About Fruits

Health Benefits
Eating a diet rich in fruits is a part of an overall healthy
diet. Reduce risk for:

Heart attack Heart disease Stroke Cancer Obesity Type 2 Diabetes Lower blood pressure

Nutrients
Important source of:

Dietary fiber
Help reduce:

Cholesterol Heart disease Obesity Type 2 Diabetes

Fiber-containing foods provide a feeling of

fullness with fewer calories.

Nutrients
Important source of:
Vitamin C
Growth and repair of all body tissues, helps heals cuts and
wounds, and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

Eating a diet rich in some vegetables and fruits as part of

an overall healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers.

Nutrients
Important source of:
Potassium
Help maintain healthy blood pressure. Reduce the risk of developing kidney stones Help to decrease bone loss Examples: Bananas Prunes Dried peaches Apricots Cantaloupe

Nutrients
Fruits are low in:

Fat Sodium Calories Protein

None have cholesterol!

Sugar that gives quick energy Need 2 cups of fruit each day!
How much is a cup?

How to Select Fruit

Buy fruits that are:

Firm to touch Right color Well shaped Heavy for their size Aromatic In good condition In season Lower cost, quality is better

How to Select Fruit

Avoid buying fruits that are:

Too soft Too hard Green or underripe Damaged Bruised Decayed Discolored

How to Store Fruit

Fresh fruit should be stored in the refrigerator
Sealed container Cool dry place Last about 1 week in the fridge
Ripen and spoil faster at room temperature Heat, air, water- destroy vitamins in fruits

Identifying Fruits

Berries
Small fruits that are juicy and have a thin skin.

Examples

Strawberries Cranberries Grapes Blackberries

Melons
Thick rind or outer skin.

Juicy and usually have many seeds.

Examples:
Watermelons Cantaloupes

Citrus Fruits
Thick rind

Thin membrane separating inner flesh segments.

Examples:

Oranges Tangerines Grapefruits Lemons Limes

Drupes
Single hard seed
Pit or Stone

Inner flesh is soft and covered by a tender, edible skin Examples:

Cherries Apricots Peaches Nectarines Plums

Pomes
Thick, firm flesh with a tender edible skin.

Central core contains several small seeds.

Examples
Apples Pears

Tropical Fruits
Grown in tropical and subtropical climates.

Examples:
Bananas Papayas Mangos

FRUITS

Selecting Fresh Fruits

Fresh fruits and vegetables are agricultural known as
produce.

Mature Fruits have reached their full size and color.

Must be picked when mature.

When a mature fruit reaches its peak of flavor and is

ready to eat, it becomes a ripe fruit.

When a fruit is very firm, lack flavor, and have not yet
reached top eating quality it is underripe.

 Some fruits mature while the our en route and after

purchase.

Grapes, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, pineapples, and

melons, however, do not and have to be picked when fully ripe.

Fruits that are picked to soon are called immature.

Small for size, poor color, and texture.

Storing Fruits
Never wash fruits before storing them.
Remaining moisture encourages bacteria to grow.

Underripe Fruit Keep at room temp. to ripen

Bananas Uncovered at room temperature. Can be refrigerated after ripening

 Berries, Cherries, and grapes.

Remove any that are damaged or decayed. Store in perforated, plastic bag or container, in a cover,
shallow container, or uncovered in the refrigerator crisper.

Citrus Fruits Store at room temp. Refrigerate them uncovered for longer longer.

Quality of fruits depends on how fresh they were when

you bought them, how they were handled, and temp of fridge.

Except for citrus, most fruits should be used with a few

days.

Preventing Fruits from Darkening

When you see a banana or an apple browning you are
seeing science in action.

The darkening happens after exposure to oxygen. Oxygen reacts with an enzyme, special protein, making
the fruit brown.

This chemical reaction is called enzymatic browning.

Preventing Fruits from Darkening

How can you stop this?
Ascorbic acid, which is Vitamin C, destroys the enzyme
so that it cant react to oxygen.

What fruit contain Vitamin C?

Lemon Grapefruit Orange

You can dip the fruit into one of the those juices to
prevent browning.

Buy ascorbic acid powder to mix with water and

sprinkle on cut food.

Serving Fruit

Turn to page 422

Commercially Processed Fruits

Which commercially produce is the least nutritious?
Canned Frozen Dried

Canned- High concentration of natural sugar.

Packed in light or heavy syrup.
Heavy is sweeter and higher in calories. Look for canned fruit packed in water or their own juices
because they have about the same amount of calories as fresh fruit.

 Frozen Frozen taste about the same as fresh fruit, but when
defrosted it has a softer texture. Freezing damages cell walls, allowing water to run out as fruits thaws. When serving plain, thaw it only partially so that ice crystals remaining and help fruit stay firm.

 Dried
When buying look for a good color, fairly soft, and pliable. Store unopened containers in a dry cool place After opening, store in an airtight container in the fridge. What recipes call for dry fruit? Some recipes call for reconstituting, process restores a dried food to its former condition by adding water

Cooking Fruits
Nutrients- Cooking results in a loss of heat sensitive
nutrients, especially Vitamin C.

Color- Color change, depending on fruit. Some

become lighter, while others develop a deeper color.

Flavor- Change slightly. They become mellow and

less sharp and acidic. If overcooked, they lose their flavor or may develop unpleasant flavor.

Texture and Shape- When heat is applied, fruit lose

water and soften. Fruits fall apart, becoming tender and easier to digest. To keep shape add sug

REVIEW: FRUITS

Name three or more things that fruits reduce the risk for:
Heart attack Heart disease Stroke Cancer Obesity Type 2 Diabetes Lower blood pressure

Dietary Fiber
Reduces risk for: Cholesterol Heart disease Obesity Type 2 Diabetes

Fiber-containing foods provide a feeling of

calories __________ with fewer _________. fullness

Vitamin C
body Growth and repair of all ________ tissues ________, helps heals cuts and teeth wounds, and keeps _______ and gums _______ healthy.

Potassium
Fruit Examples:

Bananas Prunes Dried peaches Apricots Cantaloupe

Fruits are low in:

Fat Sodium Calories Protein

cholesterol The have no ___________

How many cups of fruit do you need each day?

2

Small fruits that are juicy and have a thin skin

Berries

Examples?

Strawberries Cranberries Grapes Blackberries

 Melons

Thick rind or outer skin and are juicy and have many seeds:

Examples?
Watermelons Cantaloupes

Citrus Fruits
Thick rind

Thin membrane separating inner flesh segments

Examples:

Oranges Tangerines Grapefruits Lemons Limes

Single hard seed with a pit or stone

Dropes

Inner flesh is soft and covered by a tender, edible skin

Examples?

Cherries Apricots Peaches Nectarines Plums

Pomes
Thick, firm flesh with a tender edible skin.

Central core contains several small seeds.

Examples?
Apples Pears

Grown in tropical and subtropical climates.

Tropical fruits

Examples?
Bananas Papayas Mangos

Selecting Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruit and vegetables are known as:
Produce

Reached their full size and color and must be picked at

this time? Mature

Very firm, lack flavor, and have not yet reached top
eating quality? Underripe

When a mature fruit reaches its peak of flavor and is

ready to eat, it becomes? Ripe

True or False
Wash fruits before storing them:
False Remaining moisture encourages bacteria to grow

Store bananas uncovered at room temperature?

True!

Preventing Fruits from Darkening

The darkening of fruits happen after exposure to?
Oxygen

Oxygen reacts with this, a special protein, making fruit

brown? Enzyme

The chemical reaction is called?

Enzymatic browning

 How could you stop Enzymatic browning from

happening? Ascorbic acid Which is found in what? Vitamin C Lemon Grapefruit Orange

Canned, Frozen, Dried

Which commercially produce is the least nutritious?
Canned