May is National Strawberry Month and as one of the most popular summer fruits comes into season, a University of Illinois Nutrition Educator is promoting the versatility of strawberries and promoting the general health benefits of fruit.

Caitlin Mellendorf is a Nutrition Educator for the University of Illinois Extension in DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt Counties and says there are many local places to pick fresh strawberries.

Strawberries have a high water content, which is why if you've ever bought strawberries and let them sit in the refrigerator for more than a week, they go bad quickly. To get the most out of them, Mellendorf says you want to eat them quickly.

Strawberries are also great because you can put them in drinks, make smoothies, or just cut them up and eat them by themselves.

Some social media influencers have made themselves famous talking about fruits and not recommending some because of their sugar content. Mellendorf says that is misleading because there are some sugars that our bodies need to function.

The summer grilling season is quickly approaching. We'll hear from Mellendorf in the weeks ahead on summer food safety as the grilling season often kicks off with the Memorial Day holiday weekend.