Wellness Food The Healthiest Farmers Market Food Picks Tips on choosing the right fruits and vegetables at your local farmers market. By Health.com Editorial Team Health.com Editorial Team An article by 'Health.com Editorial Team' indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors may contribute to an article over the years. These collaborations allow Health.com editors to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available. The editors at Health.com are a dedicated team of experienced health editors, writers, and other media professionals who strive to bring trustworthy and responsible health and medical content to their readers. As a team, we have decades of experience in health journalism, and have worked at legacy publishers and some of the biggest news and media companies in the U.S. health's editorial guidelines Published on May 21, 2013 Share Tweet Pin Email When choosing fruits and veggies, small differences can make a real impact on the health benefits you get.Here's what to look for at the farmers market, from food expert Jo Robinson, author of the new book Eating on the Wild Side. 01 of 03 Cherries Getty Images “Queen Anne and Rainier cherries look exactly alike: yellow with a red blush,” Robinson says. “But I go for the Queen Anne because they contain far more cholesterol-lowering flavonoids.”Eat them within a day or two—cherries can lose their ability to reduce cholesterol just a few days after picking. Bright green, flexible stems signal freshness. 02 of 03 Asparagus Getty Images If you find purple asparagus, buy it. It contains all the disease-busting compounds found in the green kind, plus certain anthocyanins that are potent cancer fighters.Regardless of color, eyeball the shape: “Asparagus stalks tend to go crooked when they’re old—an indication that they’ve lost a lot of their nutrients,” Robinson says 03 of 03 Bell peppers Getty Images Surprise—green peppers have as many antioxidants as the other varieties.“If I’m planning to roast them to bring out their sweetness, I don’t spend extra on red or yellow,” Robinson says. “I put that savings toward buying organic peppers, since conventionally grown ones usually have a high level of pesticide residue.” Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit