FRESH FRUIT VEGETABLE PROGRAM APRIL CALENDAR 2018 WATERMELON
FRESH FRUIT & VEGETABLE PROGRAM APRIL CALENDAR, 2018
WATERMELON • WATERMELON HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BEAT SCORCHING SUMMER HEAT. WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS AND JUICY MELONS ARE THE GREAT SOURCE OF MUCH-NEEDED WATER AND ELECTROLYTES TO TAME TROPICAL SUMMER TEMPERATURES. • BOTANICALLY, THE FRUIT BELONGS TO THE FAMILY OF CUCURBITACEAE AND IS RELATED TO THE OTHER SAME FAMILY MEMBERS SUCH AS CANTALOUPE, SQUASH AND PUMPKIN THAT RUN AS VINES ON THE GROUND. IT IS WIDELY GROWN ACROSS MANY TROPICAL COUNTRIES WHERE IT IS ONE OF THE MAJOR COMMERCIAL FRUIT CROPS. • WATERMELON WAS ORIGINATED FROM SOUTHERN AFRICAN COUNTRIES. AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS OF SEEDLING, A PLANT BEARS MANY YELLOW FLOWERS THAT MAY REQUIRE HONEYBEES FOR POLLINATION. • WATERMELON IS AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF VITAMIN-A, AND ANTI-OXIDANT
SWEET PEPPERS • BELL PEPPER, ALSO KNOWN AS SWEET PEPPER, IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CHILI PEPPERS IN THE CAPSICUM ANNUUM FAMILY. SWEET PEPPERS ARE FRUIT PODS KNOWN FOR SUBTLE HOTNESS YET SWEET, DELICATE PEPPERY FLAVOR. BOTANICALLY, IT IS A SMALL PERENNIAL SHRUB IN THE NIGHTSHADE OR SOLANACEAE FAMILY. • PEPPERS ARE NATIVE TO MEXICO AND OTHER CENTRAL AMERICAN REGION FROM WHERE THEY SPREAD TO THE REST OF THE WORLD BY SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE EXPLORERS DURING 16 TH AND 17 TH CENTURIES. • UNLIKE OTHER FELLOW "SPICY" CHILI PEPPER MEMBERS, SWEET (BELL) PEPPER IS TREATED AS VEGETABLES. IT CONTAINS SMALL AMOUNTS ALKALOID COMPOUND, CAPSAICIN. BELL PEPPERS ALSO CARRY HEALTHY PROPORTIONS OF VITAMIN C, VITAMIN-A AND MINERALS
PINEAPPLE • PINEAPPLES ARE OVAL SHAPED FRUIT THAT CAN GROW TO BE UP TO 12 INCHES LONG AND ON AVERAGE WEIGH 2 -5 POUNDS. THE LEAFY TOP, RIND, AND CORE ARE CUT OFF BEFORE EATING. THERE ARE 4 DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF PINEAPPLE, GOLD, SMOOTH CAYENNE, RED SPANISH, AND SUGAR-LOAF. • THE PINEAPPLE ORIGINATED IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL AND PARAGUAY AND CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS MAY HAVE CARRIED IT BACK TO SPAIN. THE NAME PINEAPPLE WAS DERIVED FROM THE WORD PIÑA BECAUSE SPANISH EXPLORERS THOUGHT THE FRUIT LOOKED LIKE A PINE CONE. MOST PINEAPPLES ARE GROWN IN HAWAII • PINEAPPLE CAN BE ENJOYED MANY WAYS. IT CAN BE EATEN FRESH, CANNED, DRIED, GRILLED, BROILED OR EVEN AS A JUICE. A ½ CUP OF PINEAPPLE PROVIDES 25% OF YOUR DAILY RECOMMENDED VALUE OF VITAMIN C. • DID YOU KNOW THAT THE CARIBBEAN INDIANS PLACED PINEAPPLES OR PINEAPPLE CROWNS OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCES OF THEIR HOMES TO SYMBOLIZE FRIENDSHIP AND HOSPITALITY?
GREEN BEANS • BROADLY, TENDER GREEN BEANS ARE CLASSIFIED DEPENDING ON THEIR GROWTH HABITS AS "BUSH BEANS" WHICH STAND WITHOUT THE NEED OF SUPPORT, AND "POLE BEANS" THAT NEED CLIMB SUPPORTS (TRELLIS). THE OTHER VARIETIES OF UNRIPE FRUIT PODS OF BEAN FAMILY INCLUDE SHELL BEANS, PINTO OR MOTTLED BEANS, WHITE BEANS, RED OR KIDNEY BEANS, BLACK BEANS, PINK BEANS AND YELLOW WAX BEANS. • ALMOST ALL THE VARIETIES OF BEANS CAN BE AVAILABLE YEAR AROUND ACROSS THE WORLD. THEY ARE GROWN IN THE NORTHEASTERN AND WESTERN US, AND IN MEXICO. • GREEN BEANS ARE GOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN-A, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN-C AND DIETARY FIBER.
RED GRAPES • ONE OF THE POPULAR AMONG EVERYDAY FRUITS, GRAPES ARE WIDELY VIEWED IN MANY CULTURES ABERRIESS “THE QUEEN OF FRUITS" SINCE EARLIER TIMES. • TINY ORIGINATE IN EUROPE AND MEDITERRANEAN REGIONS. • BOTANICALLY, THEY ARE SMALL, ROUND BERRIES GROWING IN CLUSTERS ON A PERENNIAL AND DECIDUOUS WOODY VINE. TODAY, THEY ARE WIDELY CULTIVATED UNDER SUPERVISED ORCHARDS AND VINYARDS ALL AROUND THE WORLD. • GRAPES ARE THE STOREHOUSE OF NUMEROUS HEALTH PROMOTING PHYTONUTRIENTS SUCH AS POLY-PHENOLIC ANTIOXIDANTS, VITAMINS, AND MINERALS.
BLACKBERRIES • SWEET BLACKBERRIES ARE SUMMER DELICACIES IN THE NORTHERN TEMPERATE REGIONS. LIKE RASPBERRIES, THEY TOO GROW ON SHRUBS KNOWN AS "BRAMBLES". BRAMBLES ARE A SMALL PERENNIAL SHRUBS BELONGING TO THE ROSACEAE FAMILY OF BUSH BERRIES. • THE PLANT IS NATIVE TO SUB-ARCTIC EUROPE, AND NOW-A-DAYS GROWN AT COMMERCIAL SCALE IN NORTH AMERICA, PARTICULARLY IN THE USA, TO AS FAR AS SIBERIA. • BLACKBERRIES HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGH AMOUNTS OF PHENOLIC FLAVONOID PHYTOCHEMICALS AND SALICYLIC ACID. HIGH IN FIBER, FOLATE, AND VITAMIN C.
CUCUMBER • THE CUCUMBER IS A MEMBER OF THE SAME FAMILY AS GOURDS, MELONS, AND SQUASH. CUCUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY FRUIT, BUT IS USED AS A VEGETABLE. CUCUMBERS GROWN ON VINES. BOTH THE SKIN AND FLESH OF CUCUMBERS ARE EDIBLE. • THERE ARE VARIETIES OF CUCUMBERS. THE MOST POPULAR ARE ENGLISH, PERSIAN, AND PICKLING CUCUMBERS. ENGLISH CUCUMBERS ARE SOMETIMES KNOWN AS GOURMET CUCUMBERS, “BURPLESS, ” OR SEEDLESS CUCUMBERS. ENGLISH CUCUMBERS ARE USUALLY SHRINK-WRAPPED TO SEAL IN MOISTURE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT WAXED. PERSIAN CUCUMBERS ARE ALSO KNOWN AS REGULAR CUCUMBERS WITH SOFT, EDIBLE SEEDS. THE SKIN IS OFTEN WAXED TO SEAL IN MOISTURE. PICKLING CUCUMBERS ARE THOSE USED TO MAKE PICKLES. • CUCUMBERS ARE 95% WATER, LOW IN CALORIES AND HAVE SMALL AMOUNTS OF VITAMINS A AND C. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE SAYING “COOL AS A CUCUMBER? ” WELL IT ISN’T JUST A CATCHY PHRASE. THE INNER TEMPERATURE OF A CUCUMBER CAN BE UP TO 20 DEGREES COOLER THEN THE OUTSIDE AIR!
CANTALOUPE • MUSKY-FLAVORED CANTALOUPE OR “MUSKMELON” IS A MEMBER IN THE LARGE CUCURBITACEAE FAMILY. SOME OF THE POPULAR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN THE CUCURBITA FAMILY INCLUDE SQUASH, PUMPKIN, CUCUMBER, AND GOURDS. • MUSKMELONS THOUGHT TO HAVE ORIGINATED EITHER FROM INDIA OR ANCIENT PERSIA OR AFRICA. THEY GROW BEST ON WELL-DRAINING SANDY SOIL WITH GOOD AND REQUIRE HONEYBEES FOR EFFECTIVE POLLINATION. MELONS, JUST AS MANGOES OR WATERMELON ARE ACTUALLY SUMMER SEASON FRUITS. THEIR SEASON RUNS FROM APRIL THROUGH AUGUST, WHEN THEY ARE AT THEIR BEST. MELONS GROW ON THE GROUND AS A TRAILING VINE. • CANTALOUPE ARE LOW IN CALORIES, NO FAT, AND A GOOD SOURCE OF VITAMINS A, B, C, BETA CAROTENE, AND POTASSIUM
REFERENCES WWW. NUTRITION-ANDYOU. COM WWW. FNS. USDA. GOV WWW. FRUITSANDVEGGIESM OREMATTERS JANINE NICOLOSI, RDN SCHOOL NUTRITION COORDINATOR JANINE. NICOLOSI@RCSDK 12. ORG
- Slides: 10