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Fit Business Tips of the Month: May

Source: http://www.ca5aday.com

Fun Fact
There are more than 7,000 cherries on a single cherry tree!

Health Benefits
Cherries are a good source of vitamin C and fiber. There are two main types of cherries-sweet and sour. The Bing cherry is the best-known sweet cherry and sour cherries are most often used for cooking, pies, and preserves. Including cherries in your low-fat diet, along with a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables, will help you maintain heart health, memory function, urinary tract health, and lower your risk of some cancers.

Selection
At the market, pick a handful of cherries at a time and only select the best fruit. This may be time-consuming, but the reward will be better cherries. Good cherries should be large, glossy, plump, hard, and dark-colored for their variety. Avoid fruit that is bruised or has cuts on the dark surface.

Storage
Store unwashed cherries in a plastic bag or in a shallow dish covered with plastic wrap. Cherries stored in the refrigerator will last for up to a week. Check the fruit occasionally and remove the cherries that have gone bad. Remember to wash the fruit before eating!

Preparation Ideas
Most cherries are eaten raw-simply wash and enjoy! If you plan to cook with them, pit the cherries either by hand or with a pitter. Drop the cherries into a small amount of simmering water and cook for one to three minutes until soft.

CHERRY PEPPER SALAD

Ingredients
cherries
½ pound fresh carrots, grated
1 cup pitted fresh sweet cherries
1 cup thinly sliced sweet yellow
peppers
1 cup thinly sliced green peppers
¼ cup thinly sliced mild chili pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped
onion
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups mixed greens

Preparation
1. Toss all ingredients together, except greens.
2. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Serve on mixed greens.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving
Calories 70, Carbohydrate 13g, Protein 3g, Total Fat 2g,
Saturated Fat 0g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 90mg, Dietary Fiber 3g



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