Everything You Need To Know About Peaches
Health Benefits
First off, peaches are rich with health benefits that most people are unaware of. Peaches are completely fat-free and usually only have around 70 calories total. They contain a significant amount of vitamin A, which contributes to eye sight, and vitamin C, which boosts the immune system and keeps skin moisturized and healthy. Peaches are also loaded with antioxidants, the substances that keep your body disease-free and resilient.
One of the best things about peaches is that they can curb your appetite. They contain fiber to keep you full, and can be a sweet substitute for sugary candies and processed junk food. The fiber also helps flush your system and remove toxins. Don't forget to eat the skin, because that's where a lot of the nutrients are—especially the fiber.
Photo by Sarah Strohl
How to pick a peach
When you're buying a peach, try to pick one that has a little give when you press into it. A little softness indicates perfect ripeness, and ripe peaches will last a few days before they go bad. Also, keep an eye out for freestone peaches. The pit in these can be picked out easily, which makes for cleaner eating and slicing.
Breakfast, lunch, whatever
There are tons of great ways to incorporate peaches into your everyday diet. For breakfast, they can add a sweet touch to your fruit smoothie or as a topping on yogurt or oatmeal.
Photo by Sarah Strohl
Grilled peaches are the perfect addition to a summer BBQ. Simply cut the peach in half to remove the pit, and place the open, flat side down on the grill (or a grill pan if you're cooking stove-top). Add the grilled peach to a kabob or just leave it as a side dish to the meal.
Surprisingly, peaches also work well in salsa. Like mango salsa, a peach salsa can have the perfect balance of sweet and spicy to top any entrée or tortilla chip. There are a variety of ways to make it, all of them delicious. Here's a recipe for fiery habañero peach salsa. Not a salsa fan? Try this incredible strawberry peach guacamole.
Photo by Sarah Strohl
After snacking on the salty stuff, incorporate peaches into your dessert by sprinkling a peach or two with cinnamon and topping it with creamy vanilla ice cream. Tastes just like summer. You can also throw several ingredients into a mug for a personal 6-minute peach cobbler, or kick it up a notch with poached peaches.
Photo by Cameron Young
Make sure to take advantage of these delicious fruits while you can. They won't be around for much longer! Peach season typically ends mid-September.
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