I am completely OBSESSED with pineapple right now! Maybe because its loaded with vitamins and minerals...but I'm leaning toward the more obvious (and relatable) fact: because it tastes like the perfect refreshing treat when I'm craving something to satisfy my sweet tooth!!
I tell all my clients that when they're craving something sweet, grab a piece of fruit! The natural sugars are healthy carbohydrates that fuel your system and give you that burst of energy you're looking for (esp. around mid-day when the cravings really start kickin in). Plus, if you're a mom looking to give your kids a healthy afternoon snack, this is a great and healthy choice (verses a chocolate chip cookie!).
Besides being fabulous in the taste department, let's go over some essential factoids about the marvelous fruit. There is a reason they are only second to bananas as America's favorite tropical fruit...
Pineapple, Ananas comosus, belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, from which one of its most important health-promoting compounds, the enzyme bromelain, was named. The Spanish name for pineapple, pina, and the root of its English name, reflects the fruit's visual similarity to the pinecone.
Pineapples are a composite of many flowers whose individual fruitlets fuse together around a central core. Each fruitlet can be identified by an "eye," the rough spiny marking on the pineapple's surface. Pineapples have a wide cylindrical shape, a scaly green, brown or yellow skin and a regal crown of spiny, blue-green leaves and fibrous yellow flesh. The area closer to the base of the fruit has more sugar content and therefore a sweeter taste and more tender texture.
Pineapple is low in fat and cholesterol, and its main source of nutrients include manganese, copper, vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber.
Its benefits can be achieved through eating fresh, canned, or frozen pineapple or by drinking its juice. Obviously, FRESH is the best choice. Second choice would be FROZEN (no difference in caloric value or benefits, but fresh just tastes better. Frozen should be used for smoothies or frozen treats). Canned and pineapple juice usually contains added sugars and therefore ups its caloric value.
Pineapples are rich in manganese, a trace mineral that is needed for your body to build bone and connective tissues. Just one cup of pineapple provides 73% of the daily recommended amount of manganese! The benefits of pineapple can effect the growth of bones in young people and the strengthening of bones in older people.
While many people often take extra vitamin C or drink extra orange juice when they have a cold, few consider eating pineapple. The benefits of pineapple when you have a cold or cough are the same as the benefits of orange juice, but there is an additional benefit of pineapple--Bromelain--which is found in pineapples, has been found to help suppress coughs and loosen mucus.
Look for pineapples that are heavy for their size. While larger pineapples will have a greater proportion of edible flesh, there is usually no difference in quality between a small and large size pineapple. Pineapples should be free of soft spots, bruises and darkened "eyes," all of which may indicate that the pineapple is past its prime. Pineapple stops ripening as soon as it is picked, so choose fruit with a fragrant sweet smell at the stem end. Avoid pineapple that smells musty, sour or fermented.
Pineapple can be left at room temperature for one or two days before serving. While this process will not make the fruit any sweeter, it will help it to become softer and more juicy. Cut fruit, if chilled, retains many of its nutrients for at least 6 days.
Now that you know some fun info, let's put some pineapple in our diets! Here are a few easy and fun ways to use the flavorful fruit in the kitchen. :)
Combine diced pineapple with chopped shrimp, grated ginger, sesame seeds and a little olive oil. Season to taste and serve this with baked tortilla chips for a delicious and refreshing dip!
Mix diced pineapple and chili peppers for an easy to prepare salsa that's an exceptional complement to fish such as halibut, tuna and salmon.
Add pineapple to any fruit salad! Its especially great in those that also contain other tropical fruits such as papaya, kiwi, bananas and mangos.
Grill pineapple slices on the BBQ for 2-3 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear. Add the grilled pineapple slices to a sandwich or burger, such as the grilled teriyaki chicken sandwich below...YUM!!
Serve grilled pineapple with an asian dish, such as marinated chicken or fish, chinese chicken salad or steamed brown rice with stir-fry veggies.
Serve grilled pineapple with your favorite low or non-fat ice cream or sherbet flavor for a healthy treat. (*I love to use coconut-flavored sherbet or non-fat frozen yogurt with this!)
Now go and have some pineapple--for not only a delicious snack, but a healthy one! And have a great summer treat ;)
I am completely OBSESSED with pineapple right now! Maybe because its loaded with vitamins and minerals...but I'm leaning toward the more obvious (and relatable) fact: because it tastes like the perfect refreshing treat when I'm craving something to satisfy my sweet tooth!!
I tell all my clients that when they're craving something sweet, grab a piece of fruit! The natural sugars are healthy carbohydrates that fuel your system and give you that burst of energy you're looking for (esp. around mid-day when the cravings really start kickin in). Plus, if you're a mom looking to give your kids a healthy afternoon snack, this is a great and healthy choice (verses a chocolate chip cookie!).
Besides being fabulous in the taste department, let's go over some essential factoids about the marvelous fruit. There is a reason they are only second to bananas as America's favorite tropical fruit...
Pineapple, Ananas comosus, belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, from which one of its most important health-promoting compounds, the enzyme bromelain, was named. The Spanish name for pineapple, pina, and the root of its English name, reflects the fruit's visual similarity to the pinecone.
Pineapples are a composite of many flowers whose individual fruitlets fuse together around a central core. Each fruitlet can be identified by an "eye," the rough spiny marking on the pineapple's surface. Pineapples have a wide cylindrical shape, a scaly green, brown or yellow skin and a regal crown of spiny, blue-green leaves and fibrous yellow flesh. The area closer to the base of the fruit has more sugar content and therefore a sweeter taste and more tender texture.
Pineapple is low in fat and cholesterol, and its main source of nutrients include manganese, copper, vitamin C, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber.
Its benefits can be achieved through eating fresh, canned, or frozen pineapple or by drinking its juice. Obviously, FRESH is the best choice. Second choice would be FROZEN (no difference in caloric value or benefits, but fresh just tastes better. Frozen should be used for smoothies or frozen treats). Canned and pineapple juice usually contains added sugars and therefore ups its caloric value.
Pineapples are rich in manganese, a trace mineral that is needed for your body to build bone and connective tissues. Just one cup of pineapple provides 73% of the daily recommended amount of manganese! The benefits of pineapple can effect the growth of bones in young people and the strengthening of bones in older people.
While many people often take extra vitamin C or drink extra orange juice when they have a cold, few consider eating pineapple. The benefits of pineapple when you have a cold or cough are the same as the benefits of orange juice, but there is an additional benefit of pineapple--Bromelain--which is found in pineapples, has been found to help suppress coughs and loosen mucus.
Look for pineapples that are heavy for their size. While larger pineapples will have a greater proportion of edible flesh, there is usually no difference in quality between a small and large size pineapple. Pineapples should be free of soft spots, bruises and darkened "eyes," all of which may indicate that the pineapple is past its prime. Pineapple stops ripening as soon as it is picked, so choose fruit with a fragrant sweet smell at the stem end. Avoid pineapple that smells musty, sour or fermented.
Pineapple can be left at room temperature for one or two days before serving. While this process will not make the fruit any sweeter, it will help it to become softer and more juicy. Cut fruit, if chilled, retains many of its nutrients for at least 6 days.
Now that you know some fun info, let's put some pineapple in our diets! Here are a few easy and fun ways to use the flavorful fruit in the kitchen. :)
Combine diced pineapple with chopped shrimp, grated ginger, sesame seeds and a little olive oil. Season to taste and serve this with baked tortilla chips for a delicious and refreshing dip!
Mix diced pineapple and chili peppers for an easy to prepare salsa that's an exceptional complement to fish such as halibut, tuna and salmon.
Add pineapple to any fruit salad! Its especially great in those that also contain other tropical fruits such as papaya, kiwi, bananas and mangos.
Grill pineapple slices on the BBQ for 2-3 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear. Add the grilled pineapple slices to a sandwich or burger, such as the grilled teriyaki chicken sandwich below...YUM!!
Serve grilled pineapple with an asian dish, such as marinated chicken or fish, chinese chicken salad or steamed brown rice with stir-fry veggies.
Serve grilled pineapple with your favorite low or non-fat ice cream or sherbet flavor for a healthy treat. (*I love to use coconut-flavored sherbet or non-fat frozen yogurt with this!)
Now go and have some pineapple--for not only a delicious snack, but a healthy one! And have a great summer treat ;)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment