The taste of an Australian summer
Summer fruits have high nutritional value and appeal to the health-conscious consumer,
FOR healthy eaters, fruits are a must-have in the daily diet. Besides the wide variety of local produce, Australian summer fruits, which are easily available in supermarkets today, are also a great addition to the grocery list. Summer fruits such as nectarines, peaches, plums and apricots are a perfect match for the diet-conscious consumer as they are natural superfoods that are low in calories and Glycemix Index (GI), helping to restore energy, satisfy cravings in a healthy way and keeping you feeling full for longer. They also provide significant dietary fibre, potassium and antioxidants that encourage healthy digestion.
“It’s also important to pick the best fruit and in general, one should avoid greenish fruits or those that are pale in colour as these will be unripe.”
SEASONAL FRUIT
With Taste Australia having kicked off its “Sweeter When Shared” 2019 summer fruits campaign, Malaysians can now enjoy Australia’s freshest seasonal produce, brought to our supermarkets, including at Village Grocer.
Taste Australia is the horticulture industry of Australia’s national marketing campaign, and aims to support and drive demand for premium fresh produce from Australia into major markets throughout the world, including Malaysia
The unique microclimates in Australian summer fruit production regions, which includes very long hot days and cooler nights, intensifies the sugar levels in fruit, making sweeter fruit for people to enjoy says Daniel Havas, senior trade commissioner for Austrade.
Summer fruits are also called stone fruit because of their pit (seed). Around 100,000 tonnes of summer fruit is produced by 1,200 growers from October to April each year from four major and two secondary production regions across Australia. Farmers have generations of expertise, and also apply strict biosecurity and food safety measures to guarantee the tastiest and safest fruits.
Havas says almost 19,000 tonnes of fruit is delivered to Malaysia from Australia every year. “Australia has a reputation for clean, green and high quality produce,” he adds.
These fruits are also handpicked to guarantee the best quality for consumers. Australian summer fruits are all-rounders; versatile, nutrient rich and sweet yet healthy, says Jessica Beard from Taste Australia. Adding an Aussie summer fruit to your diet will boost your immune system with plenty of vitamin A, C and E, improve eyesight as they are a rich source of carotenoids, and strengthen bones and teeth from vitamin K, she explains.
“You can eat them fresh to savour their true and pure flavour or add them to sweet or savoury meals to create another layer of balanced sweetness.”
For a healthy lifestyle, it’s recommended
that one consume five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit daily and Beard suggests summer fruits for at least one serving.
It’s also important to pick the best fruit and in general, one should avoid greenish fruits or those that are pale in colour as these will be unripe.
And to get children interested in consuming these nutritional fruits, mums can buy different summer fruits and mix them up for a colourful, pleasing and surprising treat for kids. They can also try different recipes, including grilled peaches for a savoury dish or dice fresh summer fruits to be mixed with yoghurt or added to drinks for kids.