Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to nourish the people you care about with fresh, quality, seasonal produce from your local independent fruit and vegetable shop that displays the A better choice! logo. Choosing an A better choice! store shows you care about local Australian growers and produce sourced through the Brisbane Markets.
This week’s pick of the week is Red Dragon Fruit. Sweet, low-calorie and strikingly bright, Red Dragon Fruit from North Queensland, Caboolture and Byron Bay is a delicious way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The seed-speckled pulp is rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, making it a great choice for a healthy menu. Look for fruit with deep red or bright pink skin that feels heavy for its size. A fresh green (or slightly brown) stem is ideal. Avoid dry, brittle stems, which suggest the fruit is past its best, and store it in the fridge, where it will keep for about four days.
Growing regions in Chinchilla and New South Wales are supplying the Brisbane Markets with plenty of sweet, juicy Watermelon. With its high water content, Watermelon also contains potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A and C. Get creative with Watermelon recipes and try this Cucumber, Watermelon and Basil Cooler for a nice refreshing drink.
A variety of tropical fruits from North Queensland are in season and making their way through the Brisbane Markets to the shelves of your local, independent fruit and veg shop. These include Longans, Custard Apples, and Mangosteens. Each offer their own unique taste, so keep your eyes peeled in the coming weeks for these yummy and healthy fruits. It is also the tail end of Mango season, with Keitt Mangoes still available.
Skip the roses and choose a bunch of Broccoli from the Granite Belt, Darling Downs and Victoria. With strong supply, this dinner staple is great value and ideal for weeknight meals. Try this Roast Broccoli, Corn, and Fennel Salad for an easy, flavour-packed option.
Zucchini from Bundaberg and Victoria is also abundant. Three quick health notes to help you make A better choice! for your health and budget this week: Zucchini is rich in antioxidants, supports healthy digestion and contains more potassium than a Banana. It is a versatile vegetable that fits easily into salads, ratatouille, stir-fries, soups or a Zucchini and Goats Cheese Slice.
Next time you are shopping, head to your local independent A better choice! fruit and vegetable store for all your fresh produce needs. Stores displaying the A better choice! logo source their produce through the Brisbane Markets, giving you access to a large range of fresh, quality, seasonal products from thousands of Australian growers.
About Brisbane Markets
As Queensland’s only central fruit and vegetable market, the Brisbane Markets is the state’s most important centre for the marketing and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables. It records an annual trade of over 700 million kilograms of produce valued at more than $2 billion.
An important economic and employment hub, more than 4,500 people work or do business at the markets each day through over 170 businesses. This includes over 45 wholesalers who receive fresh produce from over 7,000 growers and trade five days a week to more than 800 registered buyers.
About Brisbane Markets Limited
Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) is the owner of the Brisbane Markets site and is responsible for its ongoing management and development.
BML provides infrastructure and services to facilitate the marketing of fresh food, flowers and other ancillary products for fruit, vegetable and flower wholesalers, retailers, provedores, secondary wholesalers, food processors, transporters, exporters, industry organisations and market support businesses.
More information can be found on our website: www.brisbanemarkets.com.au.
About A better choice!
The A better choice! retailers are hardworking local family business owners, who are passionate about fruit and vegetables, they are our experts in their field and provide excellent customer service… with a smile.
Here’s the thing: no one can match A better choice! fruit and vegetable retailers for FRESH! Every morning, they hand pick a diverse selection of high-quality fresh fruit and vegetables from the Brisbane Markets, sourced from thousands of Australian farms.
Make your first choice A better choice! with local retailers throughout Southeast Queensland including Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Tweed Heads. Please click on the link to find your local fruit retailer www.abetterchoice.com.au/store-locator/ . By shopping at your local fruit and veg shop, you are making A better choice!
About Brismark
Brismark is a member organisation which represents and serves the needs of the wholesaling sector of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry – in particular, the primary wholesalers that operate out of the Brisbane Markets at Rocklea. Brismark provides industry representation, and a range of financial and business services to support the wholesaling sector of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry and their associated businesses and actively contributes to strengthen the Central Market system. Brismark also oversees the A better choice! retailer program in Queensland.
