Fruit is nutritious, colorful and flavorful. Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium and calories. Fruit provides many essential nutrients that often are underconsumed, including vitamins C and A and folate, as well as potassium and dietary fiber. Eating more fiber-rich, low-calorie fresh fruit in place of higher-calorie foods can help decrease your overall calorie intake.

Many people do not meet the current daily recommendations for fruits (or vegetables). On average, adults need at least 1½ cups of fruit per day.

Enjoy fruit at its best with these tips.

Fruit is naturally sweet and provides a source of natural sugar to your diet.

Grilled fruits and vegetables add color, texture, flavor and nutrition without addingmany calories. Grilling adds a smoky flavor and caramelizes natural sugars to enhance sweetness

Pulses, which include chickpeas/garbanzo beans, dry peas and lentils, are increasingly being recognized for their role in promoting good health. Researchers have reported that regular consumption of pulses may reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. Pulses are a versatile, easy-to-prepare ingredient that can be used in entrees, salads, breads and desserts.

Did you know? The microwave oven was invented when a scientist walked by a magnetron (experimental microwave tube) and the chocolate bar in his pocket melted. Do microwaves make food radioactive? No. Using a microwave is a quick and easy way to cook or reheat food. You should reheat food to “steaming hot” (165 degrees or higher) to kill harmful bacteria that could make you sick.

With work, meetings and school activities, families have many distractions that keep them away from the family table. Eating together, however, has many benefits. Family meals promote communication skills, cooperation, cooking skills and table manners. Families who eat together also tend to eat more nutritiously. Further, children who help prepare a meal tend to eat the food prepared.

Proper packaging helps keep food from drying out preserves nutritive value, flavor, texture and color.

Freezing is one of the easiest, quickest, most versatile and most convenient methods of preserving foods. Properly frozen foods maintain more of their original color, flavor and texture and generally more of their nutrients than foods preserved by other methods.