Fruits are some of the healthiest foods we can add to our diet. They’re not just packed with essential vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C and potassium, but they’re also rich in antioxidants, too. These powerful plant compounds can help to tackle free radical damage in the body, which, over time, increases the risk of diseases, like cancer and heart disease. Take blueberries, for example. Research suggests that just one cup of the fruit contains literally thousands of antioxidants. But despite this strong evidence in their favor, we’re not eating enough fruit.
In the US, for example, about 90 percent of people are not meeting the five-a-day fruit and vegetable target according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Recent data show adults continue to consume too few fruits and vegetables,” the CDC reports. “Overall, 12.2% met fruit intake recommendations and 9.3% met vegetable intake recommendations during 2015.”
This is for a plethora of reasons, including accessibility and affordability, but for many, it’s as simple as not enjoying the experience of eating fruit. This is where dessert comes in. Forget just eating a banana or a berry on its own— the most delicious and exciting way to get more fruit into your diet has to be through dessert. And summer is the perfect time to start eating more of it.
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Why should we eat more fruit in the summer?
Fruits are delicious and nutritious year-round, but in the summer, they really come into their own. The hotter months are the peak time for many fruits, meaning they are not only fresher but also more flavorful. Berries, melons, peaches, and plums are at their best during the summer months.
Fruits are also a good source of water. Watermelon, strawberries, and cucumbers, for example, are not only delicious but also excellent sources of hydration, which is especially important in the hot summer months. And of course, consuming a variety of fruits all year long can provide your body with essential nutrients that support overall health, boost the immune system, and protect against various diseases.
8 fruity desserts perfect for summer
Fruits can be eaten on their own, added to salads, blended into smoothies, or used in a variety of desserts, which is our favorite way to get more of them into our diet. Find some of our go-to fruity dessert recipes below.
Christine Wong
1 Vegan Rustic Summer Berry Galette With Sweet Cashew Creme
This beautiful dessert from the Plantiful Plate cookbook is packed with plenty of vitamin- and antioxidant-rich blueberries and strawberries (and you could even add in raspberries, too, if you fancy it). It’s rustic, delicious, and guaranteed to steal the show at your next summer cookout.
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Natalie Norman
2 Raw Peach Cobbler Parfait With Whipped Caramel Sauce
Peaches are another excellent source of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, and they’re also perfectly suited for dessert. This peach cobbler recipe is delicious with thick-whipped caramel sauce (which is made with Medjool dates) and homemade peach ice cream.
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Lauren Toyota
3 Vegan Passion Fruit Coconut Tart
The tart and sweet flavor of passion fruit has a naturally refreshing and cooling effect, making it a perfect summer treat. Enjoy it with coconut in this delicious, tropical tart recipe from the Hot For Food All Day cookbook.
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Hannah Kaminsky
4 Vegan Strawberry Shortcake With Maple Creme
Strawberries bring a delicious sweetness to this tasty shortcake recipe, which is also enriched by a dollop of delectable, tofu-based maple creme. We will not be surprised if this becomes your new go-to summer sweet treat.
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V is for Vegan
5 Vegan Indian Raspberry-Rose Falooda
Originally from India, falooda is a popular and refreshing dessert beverage, very similar to an ice cream sundae. Try it for yourself with this tasty recipe from the V is for Vegan cookbook, which brings together delicious, nutritious ingredients like raspberries, chia seeds, and rosewater.
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Joanna Brown
6 Lemon Cardamom Cream With Blackberries
Lemons are the quintessential summer fruit. They’re the perfect mix of tangy, refreshing, and cooling, which is why they go beautifully with blackberries in this indulgent cardamom cashew cream recipe.
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Yuki Sugiura
7 Vegan Fresh Mango Pavlova With Vanilla Cream
With their juicy, rich, sweet taste, mangos are the perfect addition to any summer dessert. Plus they’re also a great source of antioxidants like quercetin, isoquercitrin, astragalin, fisetin, gallic acid, and methyl gallate, which have anti-inflammatory properties and help protect the body against free radicals. One of the best ways to enjoy them has to be in this stunning flavor-packed pavlova from the Plentiful cookbook.
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Deborah Gleason
8 Vegan Lemon Ube Cheesecake
If you’ve never tried ube, let this delicious cheesecake recipe be your introduction to the vibrant, sweet, nutty, vitamin-rich vegetable. It goes wonderfully with zesty, bright lemon, and it looks fantastic too.
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