Fruit is the best source of many nutrients necessary to heart health, such as vitamin C, potassium, folate, and fiber. However, winter can often make eating fruit daily more difficult. Here are several great choices you can access easily during the winter months.

Oranges

Select firm thin skinned fruit for juicing and thick skinned fruit for eating. Store at room temperature for 1 week or several weeks in the refrigerator.

Banana

Select banana's with a rich yellow color and few brown spots. Store banana's at room temperature and they will continue to ripen for about a week. If your banana's become overripe you can use for baking in breads and muffins.

Clementine

Choose fruit that feels heavy for its size. Store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Cranberries

Select shiny cranberries, not shriveled. Color should be brown or a deep red. Store in refrigerator for up to two weeks. Wash in cold water.

Grapes

Grapes should be firm and plump. Wash and store in refrigerator for up to a week.

Grapefruit

Select fruit heavy for its size with firm/thin skin. Store at room temperature for 10 days or in refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Blood Oranges

Select fruit that feels heavy for its size. Will store at room temperature for several days.

Kiwi

Choose a kiwi that gives a little with pressure, but should not have soft spots. Store at room temperature for 3-5 days or refrigerate in a plastic bag for 2-3 weeks.

Pears

Like kiwi, pears should give to slight pressure. Store at room temperature to fully ripen/soften. Refrigerate for 1-2 days.

Pomegranates

Choose fruit that is plump and heavy for its size. The top should feel soft when pressed. Skin of fruit should be shiny and not dull or dry. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Mandarin Oranges

Should feel heavy for their size. Store at room temperature for several days or in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

Tangerine

Choose fruit heavy for its size without blemishes/brown spots. Store at room temperature several days or 1-2 weeks in refrigerator.

Be sure to sign-up for The Heart of Health for more tips to be heart healthy from dietitian Lisa Nelson. You will also receive the free report How to Make Heart Healthy Changes into Lifelong Habits when you sign up.