Great News about Deformed Fruit & Vegetables: How they will Benefit your Health

I remember as a kid going to the fruit and vegetable shop with my Mum and we would pick out the best looking fruit and vegetables. I guess because they were supposed to be the best for quality.

Well that may well have been true back then when we knew that fruit and vegetables, firstly were grown all within Australia and secondly were pretty much straight from the grower, free from toxic chemicals and poisons.

However, now our fruit and vegetables are grown, store and purchased from many different suppliers and even countries. Sometimes being even months old, therefore having to be coated with a wax coating to prevent them from deteriorating.

In this article I want to explain to you what makes deformed fruit and vegetables better for your health. Sometimes it also can be beneficial for your finances as they are often less expensive.

1. Why! Fruit with crusty lesions on it!

For example Apples with these crusty lesions on them believe it or not are healthier for you. Apples contain nutrients called phenolic acids, these improve our ability to eliminate fluid, also they help protect your immune system, therefore fighting bacteria. Protecting us from cancer. Scientists have proven that due to these crusty lesions is it apparent that fruit has survived pests and fungus and provide you with more nutrition. Crusty is Better!!!! Another great fruit here is your pear.

2. Why! Deformed Vegetables & Fruit

You will find more often than not, the fruit and vegetables are more likely to be organic if they are deformed. Organic farmers grow their produce without the use of pesticides, fungicides and other chemicals. This is why the majority of organic produce is rejected from large supermarket chains.

To grow the perfect fruit and vegetables that are worthy to reach supermarket shelves farmers must resort to using chemicals in the growing of their produce.
In regards to the element of nutritional value, the less use of chemical pesticides has been proven that the vitamin therefore health benefits of the fruit and vegetables is far greater. Apart from the harm that ingesting these chemicals can cause you, you are also not getting the full nutritional value of the produce.

3. The Impact this has on the World Globally

You know the saying that "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"- " A deformed apple a day will keep the CO2 emissions away. I know a little trivia there, but it is true and very necessary for us to be aware of this.
So by including these not, so well formed fruit and vegetables into your pantries and fridges a large percentage of CO2 emissions will be avoided. These fruits and vegetables are key to understanding food waste and the affects it has on the planet as well as society.

Every year 18 million tonnes of food is taken to the landfill, this is just in the UK. This includes products such as expired meat, milk, bread. The majority of it however is discarded fruits and vegetables. Excess apples and salad vegetables are what is taking the biggest toll. These are just the emissions released from the landfill itself.

It's all a price too high for food deemed to get rejected for cosmetic considerations, while 795 million people in the world are hungry and undernourished.

The good news is more and more businesses are paying attention to the issue. Supermarkets like Tesco, ASDA and Whole Foods are encouraging their clients to buy “wonky” fruits and vegetables by reducing prices and increasing shelf visibility. The thing to remember, though, is that the power is always in the consumer.

4. Making Use of Deformed or Fruit and Vegetables that are Very Ripe

I know I have been guilty of this, throwing out of fruit and vegetables that are too ripe or don't seem fresh enough to cook for the evening meal. I have learnt since that they are great added to a smoothie and because of the ripeness they have more flavour. Especially bananas!!! Another secret too, is to use these by mashing the vegetables together. For extra flavour you can add onion or garlic. I find that smoothies make a great start for the day, especially if you are time scarce in the morning.

Now obviously if the produce is past the point of no return, set yourself up a compost bin , this is easy and a great way to fertilize your garden. Even if you only have a small garden or potted garden. It is very effective.

I hope you Enjoyed this short, yet hopefully informative article.

I Guess a Great Way of Looking at all of this is that - No-one or Nothing is Perfect. It is within the Imperfections that we find True Potential.

Obviously this goes for our Fruit and Vegetables as Well.

Bon Appetit: To a Healthy Life

Empowering You to Optimal Health Julie Doherty N.D