At just under 60 calories, the Peach packs a powerful content of vitamins, including six of the B Complex. You also get 2+ grams of Fiber and various minerals, including Potassium. The high amounts of Vitamins A & C will assure you’re getting a good amount of antioxidants for vibrant, glowing skin, including Lycopene. All of these great vitamins and minerals may be known to contribute to our overall health, including improved immune functions, strong bones, and keeping the body healthy by possibly combating free radicals which are known to cause cancer. This study showed promising cancer-killing results using peach extract: read it here.
Summertime provides a harvest of fresh peaches at organic farmstands and your local grocer, so take advantage of this because canned, dried, and especially frozen peaches are much higher in calories. Most importantly, go organic if possible, as conventional peaches are usually sprayed with herbicides/pesticides which are easily soaked into the peach skin. Rinsing is not enough to clean the peach skin (pesticides were made to withstand rain!) and a “peeled” peach also loses a good amount of vitamins and minerals which are contained in the skin. I know there are fruit & veggie wash products out there that advertise they can remove the pesticides, but I don’t know whether the claims are true. If any of you have used these washes, please comment! The goal is to eat the “whole” peach (less the pit, of course!).
Recipe Ideas:
+ Grilling season is upon us, and one easy way to enjoy peaches is to halve & pit, brush with olive oil & sprinkle with ginger, cinnamon & granulated monk fruit, then grill skin side down, turning once. (There’ll be slight char marks.) These are sooo easy and tasty!
+ Fresh or frozen peach slices are a great addition to your morning smoothie; whip up an easy peach parfait by layering Greek yogurt, chopped unpeeled peaches, honey, cinnamon and top with flax or chia seeds (and if you’re really adventurous try a few drops of balsamic vinegar on top!)
+ Here’s a recipe for peach cobbler using unpeeled peaches. I substituted granulated monk fruit for sugar, almond milk instead of regular milk and used gluten-free flour:
For those of you that like to preserve fruit to enjoy during the off season (commonly called canning): Here’s a recipe for preserving peaches WITHOUT sugar: Or just slice and enjoy a fresh, sweet, juicy Peach!
Photo Sources: Istock Photo
