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As the weather gets warmer or outright hot like today... natural instincts have us reaching
for frozen drinks... ice cold beer or whatnot. Obviously... the healthy alternatives would
be fruits and veggies... full of vitamins, minerals and low in calories.
But, how can we best maximize their nutritional values under this weather?
Our Lee Un-shin has some very useful tips. Summer is just around the corner, if not here
already, and many people are already looking forward to getting back into shape and carrying
out a healthier lifestyle.
"We all know the right way to eat healthy which is adding lots of fruits and veggies
into our daily diet. But with summer's intense heat and humidity, it can be a real challenge
to keep them fresh for long."
And contrary to popular belief, the "fresh" produce and fruits sold at supermarkets and
stores don't have many health benefits. Fruits and vegetables spend days in transit
before arriving at a distribution center. They then may spend an additional 1 to 3 days
on average on the shelves, once they are put on display for sale.
And according to experts, most fruits and vegetables start to drop in nutrient value
almost immediately after being picked or harvested.
For instance, spinach, a staple in the Korean diet, could lose up to 60% of its Vitamin
C content after 3 days, if kept at room temperature. And although most fruits, including apples,
tend to retain their essential nourishments relatively longer... the heat and humidity
of the hottest season of the year will accelerate the spoiling process.
Moreover, fruits that are not in season spend a considerably longer time in storage and
are handled differently.
"The apples and pears we sell at the store now, were harvested during last fall. And
then they have been kept refrigerated for months."
The refrigeration does help slow down these green goods losing their essential values...but
ther factors such as light intensity and rate of oxidation...can also influence nutritional
qualities.
But freezing might be a good way to preserve fruits and vegetables in hot weather.
"If vegetables and fruits are kept frozen rather than refrigerated, right after harvesting,
the nutrients in them can be preserved for a longer time."
So the next time you're grocery shopping, make sure to look for fruits and vegetables
that have been vacuum packaged at the frozen foods aisle...especially for the ones that
are not in season, or you don't plan on consuming right away.
Lee Un-shin, Arirang News