Key Takeaways
- Summer fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, blueberries, and peaches, contain essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support heart health.
- Choosing locally grown produce provides fresher, more nutritious and more cost-effective options.
- Experts recommend incorporating these fruits and vegetables into your meals and snacks in creative ways, such as mixing them into frozen treats or making refreshing salads with watermelon and pumpkin.
If you're looking for a heart-healthy poolside snack or picnic side dish this summer, look for seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Summer produce contains vitamins, minerals, and fiber that help lower blood pressure and maintain heart health. These fruits and vegetables also help you stay hydrated as summer weather sets in.
“Choose local produce whenever possible, because when it’s in season, it tends to be fresher, more nutritious, and more budget-friendly,” says Sherry Gray, MPH, RD, a registered dietitian and lead educator at the University of Connecticut. . email.
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables maximizes heart health benefits and provides a blend of antioxidants, Gray added.
“If the [you’re] “If you’re not used to using vegetables and fruits in your diet, add one or two a day and increase from there,” she said.
Consider these seven fruits and vegetables to boost your heart health this summer.
tomato
Tomatoes are a summer staple packed with heart-healthy nutrients like potassium and vitamin C. According to Gray, tomatoes also contain folate, which helps regulate blood levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that can contribute to heart disease risk.
Studies have shown that the antioxidant lycopene in tomatoes reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Tomatoes come in many varieties, including plum, heirloom, green, cherry, and beefsteak, so look for a variety of colors and sizes when shopping for tomatoes this summer.
“I like to add tomatoes to my pasta, along with fresh arugula, a little olive oil and Parmesan cheese,” Gray said.
Blueberries
Summer berries such as blueberries and blackberries contain anthocyanin pigments. This pigment provides anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits and may lower the risk of heart disease.
Blueberries are a good source of fiber, a key focus area for heart health, according to Heather A. Hodson, RDN, CDN, CDCES, a clinical dietitian at the NYU Langone Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.
Hodson explained that blueberries offer additional benefits beyond heart health, including vitamin K, which supports blood clotting and bone formation, and manganese, which aids immune and reproductive function.
“During the hot summer months, many of us turn to frozen treats to cool off. Remember that fruit can be great for this. Freeze or mix chunks of cut fruit and pour into popsicle molds to create a sweet, fiber-packed dessert or snack,” Hodson told Verywell in an email.
peach
Peach, a summer stone fruit, is rich in potassium, vitamin C, and fiber. These nutrients help improve cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and prevent heart disease.
This stone fruit also contains beta-carotene, an antioxidant that gives peaches their characteristic yellow hue. When converted to vitamin A in the body, it helps reduce the risk of heart disease.
Peaches go great grilled or in salsa. Hodson recommends adding peaches to summer fruit salads.
“Keep it simple by sticking to a few of your favorite fruits, or take it a step further by adding an unexpected twist like seasonal fresh herbs,” she said.
apricot
Apricots, like peaches, are summer stone fruits that contain antioxidants that help prevent coronary heart disease. They also contain the fiber pectin, which acts as a natural laxative, according to Bethany Doerfler, RD, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.
“This summer's sweet treats are packed with vitamins A, B, and C, as well as phenolic compounds and carotenoids, which may improve vascular health,” Doerfler told Verywell via email.
If you want to truly enjoy the sweetness of apricots, we recommend a menu with fresh apricots topped with cinnamon and yogurt instead of your usual dessert.
“Replacing desserts with fruit is a positive lifestyle change that improves cardiovascular health,” Doerfler said.
watermelon
Watermelon is a refreshing fruit that contains potassium, fiber, and lycopene, the same antioxidants found in tomatoes. Studies have shown that lycopene has been linked to improved blood pressure control and prevention of cardiovascular disease. Limited research suggests that L-citrulline, an amino acid in watermelon, may lower blood pressure and arterial stiffness.
Many watermelon studies use supplements or extracts, so people would need to eat more than 2 pounds of raw fruit per day to reach similar amounts.
But Doerfler said all produce contains vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that support heart health. Therefore, it is recommended to add watermelon and other fruits to your summer diet.
“Try watermelon with pickled onions and soft crumbled cheese for a unique summer salad,” Doerfler said.
zucchini
Pumpkins and other summer squash are good sources of potassium, a mineral important in managing blood pressure and lowering the risk of stroke and heart disease. Most Americans don't consume enough potassium, so focus on adding pumpkin and other potassium-rich produce to your diet this summer to support heart health.
“I personally like to grill vegetables, including zucchini and cabbage, on an outdoor grill, on a sheet pan in the oven, or in a skillet on the stove. I often add a light drizzle of olive oil and some of my favorite salt-free seasonings: garlic, onion, pepper, parsley, dill, and ground mustard.” Dawn Earnesty, PhD, RDN, registered dietitian and senior extension specialist at Michigan State University University Extension, told Verywell in an email.
Earnesty said pumpkin also contains vitamin C and fiber, which supports healthy digestion and helps remove cholesterol from the blood.
strawberry
According to a small 2021 study, consumption is Consuming 2.5 servings of strawberries a day improves cardiometabolic risk factors and Insulin resistance.
Strawberries contain vitamin C and antioxidants that attack free radicals that can damage the heart, according to Melissa Ann Prest, DCN, RDN, a Seattle-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Eat fresh berries whole, blend them into smoothies, chop them into salads, or enjoy them as a topping for oatmeal or Greek yogurt.
“In general, we don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables,” Perst said in an email. “This summer, aim to add fruit or vegetables to at least two meals and one snack.”
What this means to you
Adding seasonal fruits and vegetables to your summer diet can provide significant health benefits, especially for your heart and cholesterol levels.