Are you washing your fruits and vegetables correctly?

When it comes to your family’s healthy lifestyle, choosing nutritious fruits and vegetables is just part of the equation. With this small tweak to your food prep routine, you can ensure those supermarket selections are wholesome and safe by the time they reach your plate.

The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines recommend adults eat anywhere from five to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. While meeting or exceeding your recommended daily dose is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle, it’s just as important to ensure that you’re consuming produce safely. This fresh produce season, keep in mind that rinsing with water doesn’t completely eliminate pesticides, or the wax that’s sprayed on produce to help extend its shelf life.

Whether you’re making a salad, sauté, skewers or soup, the best way to ensure you’re sthe health benefits of these good-for-you food choices is to consider incorporating a fruit and vegetable wash into your kitchen routine.

To safely eliminate pesticides, wax and soil from your fruits and vegetables, follow these three steps:

1. Spray: Spray the produce with any good quality  fruit and vegetable wash.

2. Gently rub: Gently rub the produce to remove soil and wax.

3. Rinse: Rinse under water to wash away pesticides, wax and soil.