How to enjoy a fruity summer

Peaches and nectarines, plums, apricots and plenty more: summer offers us a huge range of fruity ways to quench our thirst, protect us from excessive exposure to sunlight and replenish the substances lost during open air activities and sport.

And plenty of advice is at hand to help us make the most of summer fruit, in the shape of Mr. and Miss Fruitness, the two superheroes created as part of the “Fruitness, enjoy it!” project, aimed at young people in Germany, the UK, Sweden, Denmark and Poland.

In recent years, Northern European nations have shown a trend towards reduced fruit and vegetable consumption, with very few countries achieving the recommended average daily dose of 400 grammes per person. During the summer, the positive effects of fruit are even more important, given the anti-oxidant action of vitamins C and A - which protect body tissue from aging and from too much sun - as well as abundant liquids and the presence of mineral salts able to replenish substances lost through perspiration.

Apricots, for example, are an excellent source of beta-carotene (a precursor of vitamin A) and are also rich in potassium and magnesium. Peaches and nectarines are rich in fibre, and are also great for healthy thirst-quenching, given their high water content. The slightly more bitter taste of plums brings with it a concentration of antioxidants and mineral salts. All these summer fruits can be easily carried anywhere and eaten just as they are, or else can be used to make deliciously refreshing fruit drinks, milk shakes or fruit salads.

The “Fruitness, enjoy it!” campaign is carrying out a wealth of initiatives this summer, all aimed at making European consumers more aware of the benefits of fruit consumption and a healthy and active lifestyle.

All kinds of advice and numerous recipes are available on the multilingual website fruitness.eu