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Fun Facts

Cucumbers are members of the gourd family, which includes squash and melons. Now grown all over the world, cukes are thought to have originated in either western Asia or the Middle East. They're split into three types: slicing, which are thicker-skinned and 8 inches long; pickling, which are thin-skinned and a stumpy 2 inches long; and hothouse. Unlike slicing and pickling cukes, the hothouse variety is grown indoors, and can reach over a foot long!

Star Power

Cucumbers are are a good source of vitamin C, magnesium and potassium -- more than 10 percent of your daily RDA of each! That's good news for cardiovascular health, as well as for preventing cell damage from nasty free radicals. One cucumber also provides more than 60 percent of your daily vitamin K -- to keep your blood clotting nicely when you cut yourself, help keep bones strong and support the cardiovascular system. Cucumbers also help with hydration -- they're 96% water. Did you know that the interior of the cucumber is several degrees cooler than the outside air -- the root of the phrase cool as a cucumber?

Quick Preps

PREPARE: Wash cucumbers. Leave skin on if organic -- it's the most nutritious part! Slice into thin rounds.

• Eat sliced cucumbers plain or dip in hummus.
• Add sliced cucumbers to salads.
• Slide sliced cucumbers onto sandwiches.
• Blend cucumbers into smoothies.