Peaches

Peaches, with their soft skin and sweet flesh, are a spring and summertime staple. One of the largest fruit crops grown in the United States, peaches provide a great deal of nutrients with few calories and no fat. Peaches are a healthy way to fit in one of your daily servings of fruit.

Peaches contain over 15 different vitamins and minerals, with the most abundant being vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. They are also a source of the antioxidant chlorogenic acid which helps scavenge free radicals. These are compounds that your body acquires through exposure to pollutants, food and the environment. Consuming peaches will assist in reducing the effects of aging and deter chronic diseases.

One large peach, about 2 ¾ inches in diameter, contains just 68 calories and no fat. Eating peaches instead of more fattening, processed snacks, such as chips, baked goods, cereal bars and cookies, can help you manage your weight. Peaches are naturally sweet and can replace some of the added sugars in your diet. Use them to top unsweetened whole-grain cereal, plain yogurt or plain low-fat cottage cheese, instead of choosing versions of these foods sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup or cane sugar.

Since the Texas peach season and grilling season coincide during the spring/summer months what better way to encourage our families to eat more fruits. One of the foods featured during the Path to the Plate Grilling Workshop series, scheduled April 27 and May 4, will be grilled peaches. Also featured will be corn, pineapple, turkey, chicken, pork, beef and fish.  The series begins each night at 6pm at the Wise County Fairgrounds. Cost is $15 per person for one night or $25 per person for both nights. Generous samples will be offered to each participant.  Contact the Extension office at 940-627-3341 to register.