Peaches
Why: They are so sweet, don’t raise your blood sugar levels and they are very low in calories considering the amount you get to eat.

Health Perks: Just one peach delivers 10 percent of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C and provides 2 grams of fiber -- most of it as cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. In addition, peaches have a low glycemic load.

Nutrition: Serving size: one medium (2 2/3" in diameter), calories 58, total fat 0.4g, total carbohydrate 14.3g, dietary fiber 2.2g, sugars 12.6g, protein 1.4g.

Seek Out: According to Green, "You shouldn’t be put off by the fuzz, and make sure that the stem end is yellow or cream-colored. Also, look for a well-defined crease and a pleasingly sweet fragrance. They should be soft to the touch." If you buy local peaches, especially from a producers-only farmer's market, you can find tree-ripened fruit, which is especially important for peaches because they bruise so easily when ripe, adds Green.

Peaches have to be picked ripe, because they don’t sweeten up after they are picked; they only get softer, says Terri Clapsaddle, R.D., a North Carolina nutritionist and DietDetective.com adviser. They are best eaten within a few days of purchase at your local farmer’s market and are tastiest at room temperature.

The perfect peach should: Have a little "give" to it when you press the flesh very lightly, but should not be "mushy;" Should be a deep reddish-peach color for the most flavor; white flesh varieties will be a little lighter in color on the outside; Should have a wonderful "peach" smell to them.

Avoid: "Make sure that the peach doesn’t have ‘green shoulders’ around the stem, suggesting premature picking. A deep red-brown color, softening of the fruit or shriveling of the skin at the stem indicates it’s over-ripe," advises Green. Also, avoid large, flattened bruises or fruit that is too soft, green in color, or with any signs of decay. Never squeeze peaches: They will bruise.

Storage: Don’t store in the refrigerator or in sunlight. One of the better ways to ripen peaches is to place them in a brown paper bag, fold the top and leave them for a day or so. "When you can smell the peaches and they give just slightly, they’re ready to eat," says Green.

Interesting: Peaches are originally from China, where they are considered a symbol of longevity. And get this -- the peach is related to the rose. The top three peach-producing states in the United States are California, South Carolina and Georgia, in that order.

CHARLES STUART PLATKIN is a nutrition and public health advocate, author of The Diet Detective's Count Down (Simon & Schuster, 2007) and founder of DietDetective.com, the health and fitness network.