Summer is a great time of year—you can spend lots of time in the sun and wear your cute shorts, miniskirts, and sun dresses; you can enjoy a picnic with a special guy friend; you can play outside a lot (the swimming pool, the beach, the park, hiking and riding a bike). But summer’s also fantastic because we can enjoy fruit at its freshest. And fruit is so good for pampered girls for so many reasons. It doesn’t matter if you prefer grapes to watermelon or nectarines to apples (or even a tomato, the fruit that feels like a veggie!), fruits are important to you. Why should you make it your mission to incorporate more fruit in your life? Read on.

Fiber: Fiber isn’t just a term you should nod at when your doctor suggests you might try incorporating more of it in your diet. Fiber is important to your well being! Fiber not only makes you feel fuller for longer, but it also helps clean out your body. Fiber can’t be found in milk, eggs, or meat, so grab that apple and start munching!

A naturally low-fat food: Put that bag of potato chips back! It’s hard avoiding high-fat snacks, but fruits are naturally low fat. If you’re trying to lower your consumption of fatty foods, reach for raisins instead of French fries.

Curb your cravings for sweets: Sometimes a caramel macchiato is tempting. Or how about a chocolate chip cookie or an ice cream sandwich or...well, you get the idea. A sweet treat might be okay once in a while, but giving into cravings all the time can have disastrous results. A piece of fruit can help by providing some natural sweetness. So try a strawberry instead of a strawberry pie—you’ll be glad you did.

Nutrition: Fruits are superfoods. Just look at the wide range of antioxidants available to you when you eat fruits. And antioxidants are touted for helping us maintain our youthful looks. So grab a pear and chow down!

Did we mention that—in addition to being so good for your health—fruits are typically inexpensive when compared with other foods you can buy? So watch your health and your wallet and enjoy the fruits of summer!