Yes I am a personal trainer, but I am also a woman. I am currently involved with a man who makes it his business (literally) to be in-the-know regarding all things Produce-related. Not only does he know how to keep this fitness Queen on her toes but he also shares in my fondness for organic and lush produce! What more could a girl want? Needless to say some of our pillow talk has been extremely educational and I would not be doing my duty as a health aficionado if I did not share these delectable tidbits with you!
I have been sworn to secrecy regarding the identity of my mystery produce man but I made no such promise not to impart some of his juicy wisdom on only my best of friends. Read on to learn the most coveted of produce-related tips and secrets...
Be A Smartie
Approximately half of restaurants that say they are serving organic produce are not. Gasp! USDA certified organic is the least nstringent of all organic certifications but they do require any facility boasting this certification, to legally display they're approved label proudly on that restaurants menu or store front. If you can't find the label... the restaurants trying to pull one over on you! Ask your local haunt where they are buying their produce from. If the server knows it usually means the entire staff is educated enough to get your meals from them. The better educated the staff is, the less likely you will ever encounter a salmonella (or other bacteria) outbreak. The journey your produce takes from the farm to your plate is a long and fragile process. You can never know too much about your foods journey.
Eat the specials
When prices go up, quality goes down. This is usually because the harder something is to get, the rarer it is - thus the most expensive. With diamonds this is good. With produce this is bad. You don't want one little scraggily apple, you want crates and crates of beautiful bulbous fruit! Usually the chefs specials are made using ingredients that are the freshest (because they are easy to get and in season) and probably cost a little less than if you were ordering that menu option out-of season.
Eat it whole, Eat it Raw
This is pretty much self-explanatory. The closest that fruit or vegetable is to its natural form the more nutritious it is. The fruit you buy at Fruit stands have 10x's less nutritional benefit because by the time it gets in your hungry little hands the fruit has been cut and sitting out for hours. Pay attention to color as well! For instance, the darker the banana the sweeter it is due to the higher amount of sugar. This is usually true of all fruits.
Keep it Cool
Mot produce does better when refrigerated and can last up to 3x longer! This works best with potatoes, yams, avocados (despite the rumors), and tomatoes!
According to my handsome Foodie, with over 5,000 varieties of fruits and vegetables to choose from your meals should be anything but boring! Be sure to embrace your inner Veggie Goddess and engage all your senses when planning your next shopping venture or trip to your favorite bistro... and maybe if your lucky you'll land a Produce Man of your very own.
