Summer Fruit List: 6 Vitamin-Rich Fruits in Season

March 10, 2010

With the season of plenty approaching soon, summer fruits are just about ripe for picking. Though in this day and age, you can pretty much get perennial supply of fruits, freshly harvested fruits are not only less expensive, but are also higher in nutritional quality. Fruits contain an abundance of fiber and essential vitamins your body needs to keep proper function, and you should take care to incorporate 2 to 4 servings of fruits everyday in your diet plans.

Here are 6 vitamin-rich fruits you should eat this summer:

1. Kiwi

Kiwi is low in calories, high in fiber, and it has a tremendous and variety of vitamins and minerals. One average sized kiwi holds less than 60 calories while supplying you with 11% of the recommended daily value (RDV) for fiber, 2% of vitamin A, 7% of vitamin E, and 2% to 6% of vitamin essential B vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, folate and niacin. However, the true celebrity status of kiwi comes from its content of vitamin C and vitamin K. Eating one kiwi provides as much as 46% of vitamin K and can exceed your RDV for vitamin C at 141%.

2. Strawberries

Strawberries are also extremely high in vitamin C. You can get about 141% RDV of this vitamin by eating just a cupful of strawberries. In terms of other nutrients, 1 cup of strawberries holds comparable amounts and varieties of vitamins as kiwi. Strawberries are not as high in vitamin K, but it does contain pantothenic acid, which is not present in kiwi.

3. Raspberries

Raspberries are also very nutritiously dense. They have more fiber than either kiwi or strawberry, with as much as 32% RDV per cup of strawberries. Raspberries also contain a rich variety of vitamins and minerals. They are considered a wonderful source for manganese, which has strong antioxidant functions to protect your cells from free radicals. Each cupful gives you about 41% RDV for this essential nutrient.

4. Blueberries

Adding a handful of blueberries to your yogurt or salad is a very healthy nutritional idea. They are low in calories, high in fiber, and have an abundance of vitamins and minerals. A cup of blueberries supplies you with a 24% RDV for vitamin C and 36% RDV for vitamin K.

5. Papayas

Papayas are originally cultivated in Central and South America, and in Southeast Asia. They are considered one of the more exotic summer fruits. Papaya are not only sweet tasting, but also very rich in nutrients. It is especially high in vitamin A, vitamin C and folate. Each cup of papaya supplies you with 31% RDV for vitamin A, 144% of vitamin C and 13% of folate.

6. Oranges

Oranges are sweet, plump and juicy in summer and are super nutritious. Oranges contain just about all varieties of vitamins found in other fruits, with the exception of vitamin K. It is an exceptional source of vitamin C, thiamin and folate. Each cupful of orange sections contribute to 160% of vitamin C, 10% of thiamin and 14% of folate.

So when you want something sweet and refreshing this summer, choose one of these vitamin-rich fruits. They can satisfy both your sweet tooth as well as your nutritional necessity.