Each season provides an array of beautiful fresh produce, ensuring a year filled with a range of fruit and vegetables that give our body all the nutrition necessary to stay healthy. But why is it important for us to consume the freshest produce?

Produce that’s in-season is always fresh, ripe and tastes better. Fruit and vegetables that have been left to ripen naturally and harvested at the right time, tend to carry a lot more nutrition and flavor. Cooling and heating fruit and vegetables in order to prolong shelf life or speed up the ripening process can reduce the flavor and decrease the benefits. Anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, folate and carotenes will rapidly decline when stored for periods of time. Locally in-season sourced fruit and vegetables will also look a lot brighter and much more vibrant rather than limp and dried up.

PICO farms ensures providing consumers with the freshest produce by implementing a ‘harvest upon order’ strategy; only picking in-season produce off the farms after it’s been ordered.

The nutrients and vitamins found in kiwis keep the body functioning well and boos the white blood cells in our systems to aid in fighting infections.

Blueberries
Blueberries are known to contain one of the highest antioxidant levels amongst commonly consumed fruit and vegetables. The nutrients found in blueberries can help boost a person’s immunity and play an essential role in the respiratory tract’s immune defense system.

Including blueberries in your daily diet can lower the chances of getting a respiratory infection or cold.

Ginger
Ginger is another important ingredient people turn to after feeling sick. It is known to help reduce sore throats and decrease inflammation.

Spinach
Spinach is not just rich in vitamin C, it is also packed with many antioxidants that strengthen our immune systems and give us the ability to fight infections.
It is the healthiest when cooked as little as possible so that it retains all the existing nutrients.

Red Bell Peppers
Red bell peppers contain almost 3 times as much vitamin C as citrus fruits do.
Stir-frying or roasting them can preserve the nutrients found in red bell peppers much more than when steaming or boiling them.

The Vitamins and nutrients found in red bell peppers help in keeping your eyes and skin healthy.

Avocados
Avocados are nutrient-dense fruits that contain dietary fiber, minerals, and healthy fats previously shown to improve cardiovascular risk factors like high cholesterol.
Eating avocados twice a week may help improve your overall heart health may boost your heart health and lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Blueberries
Berries are good for your heart and the rest of your body.
Blueberries are packed with nutrients that are part of a healthy diet.
They are great as a healthy snack by themselves, on top of your cereal or pancakes,  blended into a smoothie, or as a topping to your yogurt.

Carrots
Carrots are probably best known as a great source of carotenes.
They have lots of the well-known nutrients and are also a good source of both alpha and gamma carotenes (carotenoids). Studies have associated higher levels of beta carotene with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Baby carrots make a great snack. Chopped up they add crunch to salads, and you can even sneak shredded carrots into many recipes including tomato sauce, muffins, and pasta.

Spinach
Spinach packs a heart-healthy punch with beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, potassium, folate, calcium, and fiber. Spinach makes a great base for salads and can be used on sandwiches instead of lettuce. You can also addsome into a healthy smoothie, to your pizza, or mix into an egg white omelet.

Broccoli
Broccoli is a powerhouse vegetable with beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, potassium, folate, calcium, and fiber. It tastes great when added to soups, mixed in with veggie dips, or even added to salads. Adding more broccoli to your diet is a great way to improve the health of your heart.

Red Bell Peppers
Red bell peppers are tangy, crunchy, and full of heart-healthy nutrients like beta-carotene and lutein (carotenoids), B-complex vitamins, folate, potassium, and fiber. They are delicious in salads and wraps, or cut into slices to snack on fresh. Grill or roast them for a hearty side dish, or add to sauces or main dishes for extra flavor. When it comes to heart-protective nutrients in bell peppers, color counts. Red peppers have significant stores of beta-carotene, for instance. While still healthy in many other ways, yellow bells have nearly no beta-carotene at all.