SAFETY TIPS FOR HANDLING FRESH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Purchase fruits and vegetables that look and smell fresh and handle them gently to avoid bruising. Throw away any fruit or vegetable that is moldy or slimy.

Wash fruits & vegetables thoroughly under clean running tap water before use. This is vital to remove any dirt or extraneous matter that may on the outer skin. Besides, this would also reduce the bacterial contamination to the inner flesh. Do Not wash fruits or vegetables with detergent as they can absorb the detergent.

Store all cut fruit and vegetables in covered containers in the refrigerator. Once produce is cut bacteria can grow on surface.

Wash your hands well with soap and use clean utensil, and clean cutting board.

To minimize hazards of pesticides residues, o throw away the outer leaves of leafy vegetables such as lettuce or cabbage.

Peel and cook when appropriate although some nutrients and fiber maybe lost when produce is peeled.

Vegetables
Vegetables provide vitamins, such as vitamins A and C, and folate, and minerals, such as iron and magnesium. They are naturally low in fat and also provide fiber.

The deeper the color, the richer the nutrient content. Vitamins A and C help night vision, help heal cuts and keep skin healthy. All vegetables are sources of fiber. Fiber promotes regular digestion and may reduce the risk for certain cancers. All vegetables, except avocados and olives, are naturally low in fat.

LET'S KNOW THE VEGETABLES, BETTER

Spinach
It is a low-growing fleshy-leafed annual that forms a heavy rosette of broad, crinkly tender leaves. The glabrous (nonhairy) leaves, which are the edible vegetable portion, are ovate (oval, but broader toward the base) to orbicular (round) in shape with the lower leaves being wider and the higher leaves being narrower. The leaves may be savoyed (puckered) or smooth. Leaf stems are also edible, but less preferred because of toughness. The leaves are lobed at the base and sometimes lobed on their sides.

Nutrient in Spinach per 100 Grams

Nutrient Water (g) Calories Protein, g Fat g CHO: total, g CHO: fiber, dietary g Ash, mg Calcium, mg Phosphorus, mg Iron, mg Sodium, mg Potassium, mg Vitamin A, IU Thiamine, mg Riboflavin, mg Niacin, mg Ascorbic Acid, mg 91.58 15.75 2.86 0.35 3.50 3.20 1.72 99.00 49.00 2.71 79.00 558.00 6715.00 0.078 0.189 0.724 28.10

Check for following while buying:

Spinach plants should be welldeveloped and stocky. They should have fresh, crisp, clean leaves of good green color. Straggly, long-stemmed, overgrown plants or plants with seedstalks are undesirable. Plants with coarse leaf stems may be tough. Wilted spinach, or decaying spinach (with soft, slimy rot) is undesirable. Small, yellowish-green heart leaves are not objectionable. Most fresh market spinach is savoy type, but leaf type (whether savoy or smooth) is not an indicator of quality.