Fruits and vegetables are vital sources of nutrients supplying a good amount of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. To maintain healthy dietary intake and lifestyle, it is good to learn how to shop wise and eat what are seasonal.

Eating Seasonal Produces

Vegetables grow in different seasons and their quality is often dependent on changes in weather, climate and growing environment. Melons are usually taken during summer as they are high in water content ideal for hydration, while root vegetables are often consumed in winter. Mrs. Yau of Sweet Heart Fresh Fruit Shop said that spring is the season for mandarins and tangerines, and summer sees the harvest of watermelons, honey dews, lychees and mangoes. In autumn, pears, grapes, cherries and persimmons become ripe, while strawberries are usually seen in winter. To ensure fruits are in good quality, Mr. Man of Man Kee Fresh Fruit suggested not to purchase those that are overripe.

Besides, Ms. Yu of So Ha Vegetables also shared that oranges in June and July are the sweetest and juiciest, while well-grown tomatoes are available in Autumn and Winter. Aligning eating habits with the seasonality will help us to choose quality fruits and vegetables in their prime quality state.

New Online and Save the Hassle

It is true that picking items at shops gives you a first-hand chance to differentiate product quality. To accommodate the needs of urban lifestyle, however, more and more fruits and vegetable shops are joining the digital world to offer a new option of taking online orders. Not having enough time to go to the market is no longer an excuse to escape from cooking at home. Like Wah Kee Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Ltd., it partners with online grocery platform to offer fruit and vegetable distribution services, with high standards in monitoring food quality and selection process. The shop’s fruit and vegetable guru, Anson shared that it is a new operation trend that allows customers to purchase fresh food produces anytime without even leaving their homes. It is simply perfect for saving the hassle.

Learn How to Store Fruits and Vegetables

Now the fruits and vegetables are delivered to homes. What’s next? Ms. Yu said surfaces of fruits and vegetables are like human skin, which will experience water loss and wrinkle under windy condition. Therefore, she suggested to avoid exposing them at windy locations. Besides, fruits often have a thin film of self-protecting layer on their surfaces which will be mistaken as dirt, like the white powder on surfaces of blueberries. The thin film will easily be washed off after rinsing with running water or spraying water on it, causing the fruits to lose their self-protecting ability and eventually become rotten. To store fruits effectively, it is suggested to wash them right before consuming.