Food Spotlight: Berries

If you've eaten fresh berries over the past 9 months, chances are you paid too much and tasted too little. But with the rise in temps comes an end to sky-high prices and lackluster fruit. Berries are the ultimate summer superfood, dense with antioxidants and other powerful nutrients that defend against everything from cancer to memory loss. You've done smoothies, now try a simple compote: combine 2 cups of berries in a sauce pan with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and cook on low for 10 minutes. Serve warm over a scoop of ice cream or in place o syrup with your next batch of flapjacks. (whole grain, right?)

Food Spotlight: Red Bell Peppers

Red Bell Peppers taste best during the summer and early fall, so enjoy now!

1 Cup Contains:
39 calories 2 grams protein 9 grams carbs 3 grams fiber 0 grams fat

When you look at the nutritional information, it's clear to see why you need more of this tasty vegetable in your diet. Besides simply snacking on sliced raw peppers, here are some more suggestions: grilled; blended in a food processor with low fat sour cream, salt, and pepper for a tasty sauce or healthy dip; stuffed with low-fat ground beef and rice; on kebabs.

Facts:
Red peppers contain

• nearly 20% of your daily requirement of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that heads off cell damage by busting free radicals that roam your blood stream.
• more immune-boosting vitamin C than oranges and almost twice the amount as their green cousins.
• beta-carotene which your body uses to manufacture vitamin A, lycopene, which gives the red peppers their hue, has been shown to lower the incidence of certain cancers.

Spotlight on: Kiwifruit

Have two kiwi and you'll get bout the same amount of fiber (4.6 grams) as in a large apple for slightly fewer calories, while making a dent in your vitamin K needs (K promotes healthy blood). Each kiwi has nearly 100% of your daily vitamin C, too.

Spotlight on: Belgian Endive

Iceberg lettuce does have a satisfying crunch, but it is otherwise dull. Substitute the old lettuce staple with Belgian endive. This leafy vegetable is tastier and (wait for it) crispier than iceberg, and 1 cup contains nearly 2 times the amount of potassium, which helps maintain blood pressure. And it has more folate, a crucial vitamin for women of childbearing age.

Try endive for a substitute for chips. Use single leaves as low calorie vehicles for hummus, dips, and salsas, or stuff them with tuna tartar or smoked salmon for elegant appetizers.