Cooking Fruits and Vegetables:

• Less is best! Cook fruits and vegetables in a small amount of liquid (or steam) until just tender.
   

• Consider cooking your vegetables in the microwave. It’s fast and tasty.
   

• Go easy with the toppings! Margarine, oil, cheese and mayonnaise add lots of extra fat and calories.
   

• Always wash fresh fruits and vegetables under cold running water before cooking and eating. Washing removes dirt and pesticide residue. Be sure to wash large whole fruits and vegetables before you cut them up. Wash vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, leeks and celery a second time to remove sand and additional dirt.
   

• Peel vegetables that have been waxed. The wax can trap pesticide residue and fungi. Very moist vegetables such as cucumbers are waxed to slow moisture loss in shipment. A sign in the produce section of your market will tell you if the item was waxed.
   

• Trim away the tops and outside leaves of vegetables such as celery, lettuce, cabbage and other leafy vegetables to reduce pesticide residue.
   

• Refrigerate vegetables to keep them fresh. Refrigerate ripe fruits so that they won’t spoil before you get around to eating them.
   

• Refrigerate any leftover cooked fruits and vegetables within 2 hours of serving.

Look for our produce tips on the Fitness Challenge homepage for more information and recipes.