How to Make the Most of Strawberries During Their Peak Season

United Supermarkets are starting to look like a berry patch, as strawberry season kicks of a summer of delicious fruit and berries grown to their very best.

Corporate Dietitian Brenda Garcia says strawberries are excellent options for those with a sweet tooth. They are packed full of flavor and easily go with any meal, but one cup has just 65 calories, a generous amount of Vitamin C, and natural compounds that help whiten teeth.

For lunch, you could toss berries into a leafy green salad or pair them with grilled chicken. For breakfast or a snack, try a Strawberry Paradise Smoothie or Mini Strawberry Shortcakes. For a healthy side, try:

• Strawberry-Mint Couscous
• Mango Strawberry Spinach Salad with Cilantro Lime
• Strawberry Mediterranean Salad

When choosing strawberries, you can use your senses to know if you're getting optimal flavors, according to foodandwine.com:

• Sight: Are the berries a consistent and bright shade of red
• Smell: Do they smell like strawberries? Under-ripe berries will have no smell, while overripe berries will smell fermented.
• Touch: Is it firm without being too hard or too soft? (You shouldn't press berries in the store, but this can be helpful at home to determine if they've been in the fridge for too long.)

For many shoppers, food tastes better when it's on sale, so don't forget that United Supermarket posts its weekly sales ads on its website, if you want to browse them before you shop! You can find deals, rewards, recipes, and more at unitedsupermarkets.com.