FRESHEN UP YOUR FAVORITE SUMMER TREATS

Summertime brings lots of picnics, barbecues and pool parties, along with tasty treats everyone loves to share. Want to make yummy desserts your friends will rave about, but with your own unique twist?

Add

exotic

Simple

new

fruit.

Whether you’re making a fruit salad, a pie or another tasty fruit-forward delight, consider making a colorful statement with exotic fruits. Why settle for the usual grapes, oranges or bananas? There’s a world of amazing fruit out there!

Adventurous fruits to try: the bright pink dragon fruit, juicy passion fruit, orange and spiky horned melon, yellow Buddha’s hand or large green jackfruit. You can find these types of fruits more easily than you might think, but if they’re not at your usual grocery store, check your local specialty grocery stores and farmers markets or order them online.

ingredient

swaps

can

be

your

best-kept

secret.

Consider creating a better-for-you version of your summer favorites with a few ingredient swaps. These tried-and-true simple substitutions will boost nutrition and even enhance the flavors of your favorite recipes.

For sugar (or artificial sweetener) use natural options like honey, agave, maple syrup or applesauce instead. You can substitute unsweetened (about 100 calories) applesauce for sugar (about 770 calories) in a 1:1 ratio, but for every cup of applesauce you use, reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup.

Boost nutrition and texture of home-baked bread or muffins by swapping out some flour with oat bran. Rich in fiber and protein, oat bran will help keep you full, and the fiber can also help lower cholesterol; your guests will have no idea, because oat bran holds moisture well so your baked goods won’t be dry.

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