Ideally, you would select fruit and vegetables that were locally produced and in season. The reason for this is simply because they are much more likely to be fresh and therefore higher in vitamins and minerals (micronutrients), and much more flavourful! Many fruits and vegetables we buy in the supermarket have been grown many miles away, possibly even the other side of the planet! And therefore spending many days in storage; the longer any fruit or vegetable is kept in storage, the lower its nutrient value.
Click here for a great resource on fruits and vegetables that are in season within the UK
However, I appreciate that this is not always possible or convenient! So this page is dedicated to ensuring that you select the best fruit and vegetables when you are in the supermarket and know what to look for. There is nothing more frustrating than buying an avocado, for example, cutting into it only to discover it’s like rubber and no more appetising than the sole of your shoe!
So what I have done is scour the internet for you to find the best sources to help you do your fruit and vegetable shopping. And if you find any better ones, drop me a line!
Selecting seasonal fruits and vegetables
Quick guide to shopping for your fruit and vegetables
A tip about avocados, storing them with your bananas will make the ripen fast, but they will go brown and over-ripe if you leave them too long! Do not keep tomatoes in the fridge if you want them to ripen, as refrigeration slows down the ripening process. In the summer, you may find you’ll lose your tomatoes quicker leaving them out of the fridge. So if you like your tomatoes ripe and sweet, leave them out of the fridge.
Another tip for you regarding avocados. If you want to buy one ripe, knowing how to select nice ripe avocados will help you ensure that you don’t cut into a ball of rubber when you get home!! Avocado should have a butter-like texture to its flesh, and the knife should slide through it very easily! Here is a great video which will help you select, prepare and store avocados!