Want an easy taste adventure for your kids? Substitute ripe fresh or canned pears in any recipe that calls for apples: baked crisps, salads, even applesauce or baked apples. With a little citrus juice, fresh pears won't discolor.
Like apples, pears pack plenty of goodness. Peel on, a medium pear delivers just 100 calories and about 4 grams of dietary fiber. About half is cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. They have some vitamin C and potassium too. And their antioxidants, called catechins (a flavonoid), may help protect you from cancer.
Try pears in a spinach salad, a pear-cranberry smoothie, or on a turkey sandwich.