Men’s Health

September 2009

Know How to Pick ‘Em

The best-tasting, most nutritious produce is easy to find-if you know how to look. Here’s your guide.

 Online Version: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/how_to_pick_the_best_produce/Avocados.php#

The best isn't always the prettiest. Imperfections can be attractive, hinting at surprising sweetness and depth of character.
We're talking about food, by the way. Too many supermarkets sell produce bred not just for taste but to withstand shipping—it's well-shaped, but not flavorful. You want your fruit to be naturally voluptuous; the farmer's daughter, not the plasticized porn star.
Employ your senses. Look: Prime fruits and vegetables are often irregularly shaped and blemished. Touch: Heavy, sturdy fruits and vegetables with taut skin are freshest. Smell: Many fruits can be sniffed for ripeness. And shop seasonally; the foods are tastier and cheaper. We asked Aliza Green, the author of Field Guide to Produce, how to find the best.

Kiwis

A ripe kiwi will be slightly yielding to the touch. Avoid mushy or wrinkled ones with an "off" smell.

Peak: Year-round

Storage: Leave at room temperature to ripen. To quicken the process, place kiwis in a paper bag with an apple or a ripe banana. Once ripe, refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to a week.

Payoff: 65 percent more vitamin C than a small orange has

Eggplant

It should feel heavy and have tight, shiny skin. When pressed, you want springy, not spongy. The stem should be bright green.

Peak: August to September

Storage: Keep in a cool location (not the fridge) for up to 3 days. Eggplants are sensitive to the cold and don't keep well.

Payoff: Chlorogenic acid, which scavenges free radicals

Papayas

Look for papayas that are starting to turn yellow and yield a bit when lightly squeezed.

Peak: June to September

Storage: Once ripe, eat immediately or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Green papayas should be ripened at room temperature in a dark setting until yellow blotches appear.

Payoff: Lots of fiber and vitamins C, A, E, and K

Pears

You want a pleasant fragrance and some softness at the stem end. Some brown discoloration is fine.

Peak: August to March

Storage: Ripen at room temperature in a loosely closed paper bag.

Payoff: Fiber and vitamin C—if eaten with the skin

Button Mushrooms

Find tightly closed, firm caps that aren't slimy or riddled with dark, soft spots. Open caps with visible gills? Eat them soon.

Peak: September to March

Storage: Spread them on a flat surface, cover with a damp paper towel, and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.

Payoff: A study suggests that the polysaccharides in white button mushrooms may boost immunity and combat tumors.

Bell Peppers

These should have lots of heft for their size, and brightly colored, wrinkle-free exteriors. The stems should be a lively green.

Peak: Year-round

Storage: Refrigerate in the crisper for up to 2 weeks.

Payoff: All bell peppers are loaded with antioxidants, especially vitamin C. Yellow peppers lead the pack.

Blueberries

You want plump, uniform, indigo berries with taut skin and a dull white frost.

Peak: May to October

Storage: Transfer them unwashed to an airtight container and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days.

Payoff: More disease-fighting antioxidants (especially in wild berries) than most common fruits

Broccoli

Find rigid stems with tight floret clusters that are deep green or tinged purple. Pass on any with yellowing heads—they'll be more bitter.

Peak: October to April

Storage: Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to 1 week.

Payoff: Cancer-fighting sulforaphane

Asparagus

Buy vibrant green spears with tight, purple-tinged buds. Thin spears are sweet and tender.

Peak: February to June

Storage: Trim the woody ends. Stand the spears in a bit of water in a tall container; cover the tops with a plastic bag. Cook within a few days.

Payoff: Folate, which may protect the heart

Artichokes

Seek out deep-green, heavy artichokes, with tightly closed leaves that squeak when pinched together.

Peak: March to May

Storage: In the fridge, in a plastic bag, up to 5 days.

Payoff: The highest antioxidant capacity of most common vegetables

Tomatoes

Go for heavy ones with rich color and no wrinkles, cracks, bruises, or soft spots. They should have some give.

Peak: June to September

Storage: Never in a fridge; cold destroys flavor and texture. Keep them out of direct sunlight for up to a week.

Payoff: Lycopene for prostate health

Grapes

Find plump, wrinkle-free grapes that are firmly attached to stems. A silvery white powder ("bloom") means they'll stay fresher longer. Green grapes with a yellowish hue are the sweetest.

Peak: May to October

Storage: Keep unwashed, in a shallow bowl in the fridge, for up to 1 week.

Payoff: Resveratrol, which may protect against cardiovascular disease

Romaine Lettuce

Look for crisp leaves free of browning edges and rust spots.

Peak: Year-round

Storage: Refrigerate for 5 to 7 days in a plastic bag.

Payoff: Vitamin K, which is needed for blood clotting and bone health

Peaches

Good peaches have a fruity aroma and a yellow or warm cream background color, without green shoulders. They're ready when they yield to gentle pressure on the seams.

Peak: May to October

Storage: Leave unripe ones out at room temperature. Ripe ones go in the fridge, but eat within 2 to 3 days.

Payoff: Vitamin C, beta-carotene, fiber, potassium

Pineapple

Look for vibrant green leaves, a bit of softness to the fruit, and a sweet fragrance at the stem end. Avoid spongy fruit.

Peak: March to July

Storage: If it's unripe, keep it at room temp for 3 to 4 days until it softens and gives off a pineapple aroma. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Payoff: Niacin for skin and GI health, and manganese for bones

Strawberries

Seek out unblemished berries with a bright-red color extending to the stem, and a strong fruity smell. They're neither hard nor mushy.

Peak: April to September

Storage: Place unwashed berries in a single layer on a paper towel in a covered container.

Payoff: The most vitamin C of all commonly eaten berries

Watermelon

Pick it up; you want a dense melon free of cuts and sunken areas. The rind should be dull, with a creamy-yellow underside. A slap produces a hollow thump.

Peak: June to August

Storage: Keep whole in the fridge for up to a week to prevent flesh from drying out and turning fibrous.

Payoff: Citrulline, an amino acid that can help improve bloodflow

Raspberries

Plump and dry berries are best; look for good shape and intense, uniform color.

Peak: May to September

Storage: Unwashed, in a single layer on a paper towel. Cover with a damp paper towel and refrigerate 2 to 3 days.

Payoff: More fiber (8 grams per cup) than any other commonly eaten berry

Green Beans

Good beans have vibrant, smooth surfaces. The best are thin, young, and velvety, and snap when gently bent.

Peak: May to October

Storage: Refrigerate unwashed in an unsealed bag for up to 1 week.

Payoff: Fiber (almost 4 grams in 1 cup), which is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality

Avocados

Find firm ones with no sunken, mushy spots, and a waxy rather than a shiny appearance. Shake it—a rattle means the pit has pulled away from the flesh. Not good.

Peak: Year-round

Storage: To ripen, place in a paper bag and store at room temp for 2 to 4 days. Add an apple to the bag to speed things up. Ripe ones can go in the fridge for up to a week.

Payoff: Cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat