Traveling can be stressful on both your mental and physical health. Whether you’re traveling by a plane, train or automobile, we’ve got some tips to stay your healthiest and happiest this season.

1. Boost your immune system. Cold and flu season often get the best of you during the holiday season, but maintaining a healthy immune system can help. Be sure to get that extra dose of vitamin C and zinc to help boost and maintain a healthy immune system.
2. Keep clean. Hand sanitizing wipes are convenient when soap and water aren’t available, which can happen quite often while traveling. Grab a small pack of wipes to keep in your backpack, carry-on or car to help prevent the spread of germs.
3. Plan ahead. If you’re taking a road trip, make sure your car is in tip-top shape. If you’re flying, check the weather for unexpected delays. Making a list (and checking it twice) will help you stay prepared for anything this busy season may bring your way.
4. Reduce stress. Catching flights, large crowds and exhausting errands create added stress to your daily routine. Take some time to relax with the help of essential oils and natural stress relief pastilles.
5. Enjoy time with friends and family. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the stresses of traveling, but remember, this is the time to be grateful for loved ones and the joy that they bring. Take some time to take a deep breath and appreciate the little things this season has to offer.

 

If sweet potato fries haven’t already convinced you, we’re here to reaffirm the greatness of this popular holiday root. Sweet potatoes are known for being staple ingredients in comfort meals, but they are often confused for yams. As you walk through the produce department, it can be hard to shake the question, “What exactly is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?”

Sweet Potatoes

Background:

Like the name suggests, these spuds are the sweeter of the two. Sweet potatoes will typically have a deeper and stronger orange color. They are members of the morning glory plant family and are tropical, long-season vegetables. While botanical yams are rarely found in stores in the U.S., you will find an abundance of options for sweet potatoes.

Varieties:

This is where confusion can come into play. Don’t be deceived by the names that these go by—they are actually sweet potatoes!

• Garnet Yam (red sweet potato)
• Jewel Yam (orange sweet potato)
• Classic (white sweet potato)

Nutrition:

• Sweet potatoes blow yams away with vitamin A!
• Sweet potatoes are twice as high in calcium compared to yams.
• The natural sugars in sweet potatoes will give you a quick energy boost.
• Eating a sweet potato after exercise can aid in a quick recovery.
• Higher in natural sweetener, the carbohydrates and natural sugars in sweet potatoes are released in the blood stream faster. It is good to pair with high-fiber vegetables or protein.

Yams

Background:

The name, “yam,” was first adopted from the word “nyami”—meaning “to eat.” In comparison to potatoes, yams can grow to be much larger. They are distinguishable by a starchier and drier quality. Unlike sweet potatoes, yams are related to grasses and lilies. They are typically available in countries like West Africa, Asia or the Caribbean. Fortunately, the availability of sweet potatoes in your local store will be handy for favorite dishes around Thanksgiving. The expectation is that around 1.25 million pounds of sweet potatoes will be sold during this particular time of year!  

Learn how to select, store, prep and cook your favorite summer fruits. We’re talking juicy peaches, sweet apricots, plums, mangos, nectarines and cherries. The fruits of summer are nothing but fresh, healthy and delicious. Try one of our recipes below or merely eat them on-the-go—juice running down your chin, and without a doubt, a smile on your face.

What is a Plumcot?

Just like its fun name implies, plumcots are a hybrid of a plum and an apricot. With dozens of varieties of apricots and plums to choose from, the assortment of plumcots is as diverse as it is delicious! Look for these extra-flavorful stone fruit in your neighborhood Sprouts.

Tips for Stone Fruit

Tip 1: Not quite ripe yet?

Place your stone fruit in a paper bag, out of direct sunlight at room temperature. Check daily for perfect ripeness.

Tip 2: Extend Freshness

When your stone fruit is ripe, store in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. This will preserve freshness for an extra three to five days.

Tip 3: Whoops, too ripe …

Don’t toss your stone fruit yet! Roughly chop up the fruit, toss in a saucepan with a little water, a touch of sugar and dash of cinnamon. Cook down until fruit is soft and syrupy, for a delicious fruit compote to top ice cream, waffles, pancakes, yogurt and more.

Family Tree Farms

In the heart of California’s Central San Joaquin Valley, the Jackson family grows, packs and ships over 86 million pounds of stone fruits and blueberries every year. Their mission is to consistently produce, package and market the most flavorful fruit in the world. But it’s not just about how much they produce. After many conversations around the dinner table they came together and developed a vision for the family farm that focused on producing fruit that had a flavor profile like no other. Together, the family combined faith, hard work and integrity to create a collection of the most flavorful fruit, searching around the world for varieties with superior flavor. They partnered with many of the world’s top plant breeders, securing the exclusive rights to grow their best varieties on their farms. Sprouts had the pleasure of touring their farm and the Research & Development Center is truly one-of-a-kind, allowing them to bring the science of growing together with the art of farming. Their farming practices nurture the fruit to protect those tasty properties so they can bring extra delicious stone fruits from their family to yours.

Stone Fruit Recipes

Faced with a pile of ripe stone fruits, it’s natural to think of sweet cobblers and crisps. But foodies are also using summer fruits in savory applications like salsas and salads. Toss some in your morning yogurt or breakfast cereal, throw them on the grill alongside meat, experiment with some of the recipes below, or just eat them out of the palm of your hand.

• Peach Salsa
• Kale & Peach Salad
• Roasted Red Cherries & Red Onions
• See even more stone fruit recipes!

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Ready to bring home these tasty seasonal faves?

START A STONE FRUIT SHOPPING LIST ORDER STONE FRUIT FOR DELIVERY

For a fruit whose lifeline is just a few days, and whose growing season is just a few weeks, peaches go back a long, long way. They have been cultivated in the U.S. for hundreds of years, but are originally native to China, where they have been grown for more than 2,500 years. They, along with nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, olives and even almonds are known as drupes or stone fruits. A stone fruit is classified as any fleshy fruit with a single seed or pit in the center.

Types of Peaches

There are many individual types of peaches and nectarines, but the two major types are the yellow and white flesh varieties. Yellow peaches and nectarines have a yellow background with a pink to red blush; their flesh is deep yellow with a good balance of sweet tart flavors. Yellow peaches are best eaten when the flesh yields to gentle pressure. White peaches and nectarines have a creamy background with a pink to red blush overlay and creamy yellow flesh. They are usually less tart than their yellow counterparts and are ready to be eaten when still firm and crunchy. The white variety also ripens faster than the yellow.

Like peaches, plums also originated in China, though most of the ones sold in the U.S. are known as Japanese plums. This variety is usually small and round and comes in a variety of skin colors ranging from red, black, green and purple. Plums generally have tart skin with sweet flesh but some varieties are sweet inside and out. All three are nutrition powerhouses, full of vitamin C and A and potassium!

How Peaches Are Grown

Although peaches, plums and nectarines are harvested April through October and peak in June, July, August and September, the growing process is a year-round effort. In the winter, there are no fruits on the trees but growers are busy pruning the trees and measuring “chill hours,” which are the hours the outdoor temperature drops below 45°F (but not below freezing). Basically, these fruit trees need sleep to prepare for the next year’s crop. Chill hours can affect all stages of the growing process from pollination to harvest. The number of chill hours needed ranges from as little as 350 to as many as 900, but a total of 800–850 chill hours is considered optimal.

In the spring, the trees enter the bud and bloom stage. Once they are in full bloom, the pollinated blossoms start growing fruit. Peach and nectarine trees are self-pollinating but plum trees rely on bees and the wind to be pollinated. By the summer the orchards are ready to give up their bounty with some late varieties extending the harvest through the beginning of fall.

How to Choose a Ripe Peach & How to Ripen Peaches

The juicy yet firm flesh of peaches, nectarines and plums hold up well to heat, making them ideal for the grill, where their sugars will be developed and caramelized by the flames. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a fun, unexpected barbecue treat. Video Description: When selecting a perfectly ripened stone fruit look for produce that yields to the touch and has a sweet fragrance. Avoid overripe stone fruits which are extremely soft or wrinkled.