In autumn, the produce section is bursting with harvest colors: the deep red of cranberries, the bright orange of persimmons and the yellow color of grapefruit. Fall’s fruits are not only colorful but also loaded with nutrition — especially fiber and phytochemicals (nutrients found only in plants).

• Fiber absorbs lots of water and “bulks up,” helping you feel full faster without eating as much. It may also improve or help prevent some types of digestive problems.
• Phytochemicals are compounds that protect the body from toxins that damage cells and cause disease.

Here’s a guide to some of the most popular fall and winter fruits:

Selecting: Choose plump, evenly colored bananas with no bruises or splits in the skin

Serving: Peel and eat; slice on cereal; add to smoothies; use ripe bananas in breads, cakes or muffins

Selecting: Choose plump berries that are hard and shiny

Serving: Grind them for sauce with apples, oranges or dried apricots; sprinkle on top of salads; substitute them for raisins when baking

Selecting: Choose fruit that is firm, thin-skinned and heavy for its size

Serving: Cut in half and scoop out the fruit; add peeled segments to fruit salads; sprinkle halves with brown sugar and broil

Selecting: Choose thin-skinned fruit

Serving: Peel and eat; slice and serve on salads; cook to make marmalade or sauce for meat, fish or poultry

Selecting: Choose fruit that yields to slight pressure on the neck (not the middle)

Serving: Substitute for apples in recipes for pies, muffins, tarts or other desserts; slice for salads

Selecting: Choose fruits with no yellow areas

Serving: Peel and eat; slice for salads, purée as a sauce for desserts

Selecting: Choose plump fruit that is heavy for its size and has shiny, unblemished skin

Serving: Eat the seeds; sprinkle them on salads and dips; add to fish or poultry dishes

Selecting: Choose firm, plump grapes that are dark red with thick skin

Serving: Add to salads; serve with cheese or nuts

Selecting: Choose fruit with thick, bumpy, yellow-green skin

Serving: Add to fruit or vegetable salads

With so many delicious fruits to choose from, you’re sure to find lots of ways to prepare them for your family. With the holidays just around the corner, think of all the cakes, pies, tarts and fruit salads you can make!