Here are a few things to keep in mind:

your best option is buying seasonal produce locally grown produce travels shorter distances to get to your table, so it tends to be fresher and less expensive check your local sabzi mandi and farmers' markets called haats or sandhais for good deals.

supermarket chains may also offer a large variety of produce at reasonable prices. Frozen fruits like strawberries are nutritionally similar to fresh produce. This is because they are transported directly after picking to the factory for flash freezing.

Selecting fresh fruits is often a matter of sight and smell. Fruits like ripe strawberries, mangoes and melons have a pleasant sweet aroma. Never buy produce with worm infestation or with mould growing on it as it could lead to food poisoning.

Standards for selection of vegetables vary with the specific commodity. In general, freshness, uniformity of size, variety, colour, degree of ripeness and freedom from defects are the qualities most frequently sought.

• As with fruits at the peak of season, each vegetable has the highest nutrient content, flavour and is available at a reasonable price. Therefore, seasonal vegetables should be preferred.
• Select fresh vegetables which are firm, crisp, bright in colour, with no visible bruises or signs of decay and wilting.
• Vegetables will usually wither when kept in the sun or kept for too long. So buy fresh vegetables.

Leafy vegetables:

• Select clean, young, tender, firm, crisp, brightly green coloured leafy vegetables which are free from flowers, insects, mud and spots or holes in the leaves.
• Do not buy wilted or insect eaten or the