Make the most of your produce: Fresh, seasonal fruits and veggies are the perfect treat. Here's how to get creative with them, and how to best harness their powerful nutrients.

Freezing brings out the sweetness of the fruit, and the cool temperature reminds you to slow down while eating.

Fresh strawberries are always a treat, and you can find locally grown varieties throughout the summer in most areas. Unfortunately, conventionally grown strawberries rank among the top 10 pesticide-ridden fruits and vegetables, so always choose organic. Look for berries that are red all the way to the tip, a sign that they're fully ripe (strawberries don't ripen after picking). One cup of sliced strawberries has 53 calories.

You'd never guess it from the buttery texture, but pears deliver 6 grams of fiber -- almost a quarter of the fiber you need each day.

To determine whether a pear is ready to eat, gently press near the stem end with your finger. If it yields slightly, the pear is good to go. Eat it alone or, thinly sliced, atop whole-grain bread with 4 teaspoons almond butter, as shown. Makes 1 serving (217 calories).

Halve or quarter a small avocado and remove pit. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of your highest-quality olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and fresh pepper to taste. Spark with a squeeze of fresh lime. Makes 1 serving (361 calories).

A classic guacamole, which will keep its color for about a day in an airtight container, can be packed to go and served with fresh summer crudites instead of chips. Makes 4 servings (200 calories each).

Find oranges at their peak between December and midspring. Choose fruit that's heavy for its size (indicating juiciness), firm, and evenly shaped.

When peeling an orange, leave on the white stringy part that sticks to the fruit; it harbors pectin, a soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol. Rub unpeeled oranges under running water and dry them with a paper towel before eating, since any bacteria on the rind can transfer to the flesh when slicing, peeling, or juicing. One large orange has 86 calories.

Sweet potatoes' orange glow gives away their beta-carotene content. By serving this dip with raw vegetables such as red peppers and broccoli, you also get selenium, vitamin C, and sulforaphane. Makes 4 cups (56 calories per serving).

Grapefruit helps defend against everything from cold-season sniffles to heart disease and cancer; pink and red grapefruit also offer about 35 times more of the antioxidant vitamin A than their paler counterparts.

Next time you eat one of these citrus marvels, leave the grapefruit spoon in the drawer. Instead, eat grapefruit segments whole, as you would an orange, and you'll get 50 percent more fiber. (By leaving the membrane behind, you lower the fiber count to just under 2 grams per half fruit.) Half a grapefruit has 53 calories.

Season 1/4 cup low-fat yogurt with salt, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (dill, basil, cilantro) or a few pinches of dried oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest. Serve with raw vegetables. Serves 1 (40 calories, plus veggies).

This versatile veggie works well in salads, soups, and smoothies. But it's probably best known for its role as a stand-alone snack: Carrot sticks, paired with celery or accompanied by dip, are a crunchy, healthy treat.

Choose firm, bright-orange carrots without splits or cracks. The deeper the orange, the more beta-carotene present. Since beta-carotene is fat-soluble, eat carrots with an olive-oil based dip, hummus, or salad dressing to help your body absorb the nutrients. One cup of chopped carrots has 52 calories.

Enjoy the tasty, unexpected flavors of this veggie-rich dip immediately, or allow it to mellow overnight. Makes 4 to 6 servings (about 160 calories each).

Serve this hummus with fresh veggie slices for a healthy snack. For a zesty, enticing dip, puree guacamole into the mixture. Makes 14 servings (75 calories each).

Raw, fresh cranberries offer more nutritional value than their cooked or dried counterparts, but they can be tart and intimidating. To make them more palatable, mix them with apples, apricots, and oranges.

Cranberries are usually only available in markets from September through December, but they keep well. You can refrigerate fresh cranberries for up to four weeks or freeze them for up to a year.

In a small jar, layer 1/2 cup fruit cut into 1/2-inch cubes (kiwis, mangos, and pineapples are nice) with 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt. Top with 1 tablespoon toasted sliced almonds. Makes 1 serving (100 calories).

Sweet and delicious, figs make the perfect pairing for a thin slice of Prosciutto di Parma -- which, by the way, is nitrate-free and low in saturated fat. Makes 8 servings (101 calories each).

Balsamic vinegar and brown sugar make a sweet-tart dressing for the berries. Serve as is, or for an extra crunch, with toasted nuts. Makes 4 servings (69 calories each).

Make the most of your lemons, grapefruits, and oranges: Candy the peels and serve them as a sweet finish to a meal! (155 calories per 1/4 cup serving.)

Blend up this delightful summer slushie before you leave the house, and enjoy it in a reusable thermos or bottle. Makes 6 servings (165 calories each).

Pack a container of this chunky fruit spread along with some whole-wheat bread or plain yogurt. Makes 1 1/3 cups (21 calories for 2 tablespoons).

Make a tray of these tiny tomatoes to eat with dinner, and keep the leftovers for an afternoon snack. Makes 24 tomatoes (23 calories each).

Using assorted dried fruit adds a colorful twist to this classic after-school snack. Makes 2 servings (102 calories each).

Delicate rice-paper wrappers envelope six crunchy vegetables (and countless nutrients). The sauce supplies a tingling jolt of ginger and vinegar. Makes 6 rolls (185 calories each).

In-season ingredients (tomatoes, corn, and basil) are the heart of a lime-spiked dip; tofu -- low in saturated fat and cholesterol-free -- makes it creamy. Makes 4 servings (156 calories each).

Crudites with cheese are a quick fix when you want something crunchy and creamy. We like all sorts, including Danish blue, Stilton, and Gorgonzola. Makes 6 servings (109 calories each).

Spare, cool melon and pineapple prepared sushi-style makes a fun appetizer or dessert, and the leftovers will make a great pack-and-go snack. Makes 4 servings (273 calories each).

This vegan soup is a perfect pick-me-up on a hot summer day. Makes 4 servings (59 calories each).

Ripe, juicy apricots are one of the summer's great pleasures. When shopping, choose plump, golden-orange-hued apricots without soft spots. Apricots ripen more quickly than other stone fruits; refrigerated ripe apricots should last two days. One cup of sliced apricots has 79 calories.

If you can't get fresh, snack on dried apricots. Ounce for ounce, the dried variety has more than three times the fiber of fresh, plus more iron and potassium. In fact, with 755 milligrams of potassium per serving, dried apricots have nearly twice the amount as a banana.

Cool and refreshing, this dip pairs best with raw vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, and bell peppers. Makes 4 to 6 servings (72 calories each).

Tomato paste and charred red peppers provide an ancho-spiced dip with layers of flavor in addition to cancer-fighting carotenoids; almonds and walnuts provide the smoky mixture with protein and unsaturated ("good") fat. Makes 6 servings (208 calories each).

Made the night before in a food processor, this cold soup -- starring tomatoes, onion, squash, bell pepper, and avocado -- is best eaten right out of the refrigerator. Makes 4 servings (215 calories each).