Grapefruit: liven up a dreary winter day with this good-for-you fruit.

The grapefruit diet may be passe, but enjoying this juicy fruit may help fight cold symptoms and prevent heart disease and certain cancers. On a cold, gray February day, a fresh grapefruit can add some zing to your meal as well as your system.

Look for smooth, shiny skin and fruit that feels heavy for its size. Most varieties at the markets are white, red or pink and seedless. Some aficionados claim white grapefruit has the best flavor, while others say pink is the sweetest. Experts say color doesn't affect the fruit's taste, so try them all and pick the one that makes your taste buds sing.

Store grapefruit unwrapped at room temperature for no longer than a day or wrapped in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. To prepare, either cut a grapefruit in half crosswise and scoop out the segments with a serrated grapefruit spoon or use a grapefruit knife to separate the segments before digging in. If no utensils are around, you can just peel--removing the skin, and the bitter-tasting white pith--and pull apart. Such easy versatility means the grapefruit will never be obsolete in our book.

 
grapefruit, avocado 
and arugula salad 
 
Serves 4 
 
Pieces of juicy red grapefruit 
segments sans membranes look like 
jewels nestled in the greens. Peppery 
arugula, creamy avocado and 
snappy red onion combine with 
the tangy grapefruit for a taste 
and texture explosion in this good-for-you  ...