BLOOMINGTON -- For people dealing with slimmer wallets while trying to slim their waistlines, summer is the best season of the year.

All that fresh summer produce in supermarkets and farmers markets is reasonably priced - because it's in season - while naturally low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins and nutrients, Central Illinois dietitians said.

That's good news for recession-conscious consumers trying to get the biggest bang for their food dollars while also trying to fit into their shorts and swimsuits this summer.

"There are so many things in fruits and vegetables and they work together so well that we're just beginning to know all the benefits," said Robin Rinker, a registered dietitian with BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal.

Dietitians urge people to eat a variety of vegetables and fruits and a minimum of five servings a day.

"We're always talking about eating different colors," said Kim Anderson, a nutritionist and program coordinator for the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program of the McLean County Health Department.

"Don't stick with one or two things because no one food is perfect," Rinker said. "Eating a good spread of colors will give your body the variety of nutrients that it needs."

It's easier to eat all those colors when the produce section of supermarkets and farmers markets are filled with all sorts of fruits and vegetables.

"And they have a better flavor because they're fresher," Anderson said.

Abundant fruits this time of year include berries, apricots, melons, peaches, plums, tomatoes and nectarines.

Plentiful summer vegetables include green beans, peppers, cucumbers, corn, beets, eggplant, lima beans, radishes, leaf lettuce, squash and zucchini.

Health benefits, said Kim McClintic, registered dietitian with OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, include:

• A high water content, which helps with body functioning.
• Minimal calories, which help with weight control.
• High fiber, which helps to fill you up, move food through the body and regulate blood sugar, reducing our risks of various diseases.
• Antioxidants, which help to reduce the risk of certain cancers and boost the immune system.
• And vitamins and minerals, which helps a variety of body functions.

"Go for bold colors," McClintic said, including bright orange (cantaloupe, carrot, peaches, mango); deep, dark green (spinach, kale, broccoli, green beans); and purple, maroon or red (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, beets, red grapes, tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit and red peppers).

Choose produce that is firm and smells fresh. Avoid anything that is bruised, is wilting or drying out, has mold, is cracked or cut open or is attracting fruit flies, dietitians said. If you shake a melon, you should not be able to hear seeds rattling.

Pre-cut and packaged fruits and vegetables are costly. But if it's the only way someone will eat that produce, it's worthwhile, the dietitians agreed.

But they also agreed that pre-packaged produce should be washed as any fresh produce - even if the package indicates that the food has been pre-washed.

All fresh fruit and vegetables should be washed thoroughly before they are eaten to remove any herbicides, pesticides and bacteria.

Use a heavy stream of tap water for about 30 seconds. Even wash the outside of fruits when you don't consume the peel (as with melons); otherwise, bacteria on the outside will get inside when the produce is cut, dietitians said.

When you consume the peel (apples, pears, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini), clean with water and a fruit and vegetable brush. For fruits and vegetables in which the outside is eaten but the outside wouldn't stand up to cleaning with a brush (berries, grapes, peaches, plums, broccoli), make sure you wash them even more thoroughly, the dietitians said.

For leaf vegetables (lettuce, cabbage), remove and discard the outer leaves before cleaning the rest of the vegetable. For vegetables with stems (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus), cut and discard the stems first, McClintic said.

With all fresh produce, discard if it has been out of the refrigerator for more than four hours because bacteria may get inside. And, any fresh produce that is refrigerated for seven days begins to lose its nutrient value.

"So you need to eat them within seven days," Rinker said.

You do the math

For people counting calories this summer, here's a telling comparison from Kim McClintic of OSF St. Joseph Medical Center:

• A serving of a typical vegetable (a half cup cooked or a cup raw) is 25 calories.
• A serving of a typical fruit (a medium size apple, peach or pear or a cup of raw fruit) is 60 calories.
• A typical candy bar is 250 calories and without all the vitamins and minerals of vegetables and fruits.