Tagged with 'dehydrated-fruit'

Papaya, Papaw, Pawpaw—however you prefer to pronounce it, consider adding this exotic fruit to your list of summer fruits to try. You won’t be sorry, both nutritionally and taste-wise. When you set out to purchase your papaya, you can tell its ripe, or just about ripe, when the skin is more yellow or orange than green, and a light and fragrant smell is coming from the top where the stem used to be.

When you cut into this pear-shaped fruit, the first thing you’ll notice is the bright orange color of the flesh, and then lots of black, round gelatinous seeds, which are also edible. In fact, they’re used as a parasite treatment and an internal cleanser. Regardless if you opt to eat the black seeds or not, the papaya flesh has amazing health benefits.

Antioxidant Powerhouse

You gotta love it when a single food packs a super nutrition punch. Papaya contains numerous different beneficial antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and lycopene—all important for protecting your body’s cells from disease-causing free radicals. Every body creates free radicals, even the uber healthy ones, so it’s important for everyone to eat antioxidant-rich foods.

Skin Protection and Beautifying 

All those antioxidants are extremely helpful for protecting your skin against free radicals known to cause damage that leads to wrinkles and other visible signs of aging. One unique feature about papaya is that the flesh and skin of papaya contains a natural enzyme called papain. It’s actually so good at breaking down proteins, it’s used as a meat tenderizer commercially. For skin health, papain breaks down dead skin cells and helps promote skin renewal when used topically on the face or body.

Advocates of papaya recommend rubbing the inside of the papaya skin, with a thin layer of the wet papaya pulp remaining on it, directly onto your face for a couple minutes, preferably in the morning or evening before showering. It is believed to help diminish age spots and minor scarring, improve acne or other blemishes and is said to be great relief for sun damaged skin.

Eats for Your Eyes—Fend off Macular Degeneration

The beta-carotene found in papaya can be converted into vitamin A, which is particularly important for healthy eyes and vision. Papaya also contains two phytonutrients our eyes can’t do without—lutein and zeaxanthin. They’re highly concentrated in the macula, which is the part of the eye responsible for central vision and high-resolution visual acuity. Ensuring you eat enough zeaxanthin and lutein can significantly reduce your risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. They may also protect against developing cataracts, glaucoma, and other eye diseases.

How To Eat Papaya

Eating papaya for breakfast is a refreshing and cleansing way to start the day. It also makes a great dessert, especially after a meat-filled meal because the natural digestive enzymes assist in digesting your food.

I also enjoy eating papaya as a dried fruit. It’s easy to take with you for a snack anytime and anywhere. Chop it up and add to muesli, trail mixes, and homemade snack bars. My kids love it too!

Considerations When Picking Your Papaya

The greener the papaya, the more papain enzymes it contains, which are very good for clearing out the intestines of undigested waste. On the other hand, the ripe papaya or the brighter colored pulp are thought to have more antioxidants.

Side note: It’s important to mention, the papaya seed enzymes are so powerful, please talk to your doctor if you have a health condition or take medications. The enzyme might actually interfere with it! Please avoid papaya if you’re pregnant.

If you enjoy eating papaya, how do you like to eat it?

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Visiting my grandparent’s house brings me such fond memories. One of those memories, of all things, is eating the delicious dried fruit grandma made! She filled hundreds of ziplock bags with dried plums, pears, peaches, and apples, all picked from the orchards around her house. She also dried bananas and it was all a treat I looked forward to every visit.

Believe it or not, my grandma constructed her own dehydrator 30+ years ago! She built a wood box with shelves; added screens and an electric fan to the back of the box. I still remember that box always sitting on a table on her back patio as the fan slowly dried out the fruit. Wouldn’t she be astonished by the fancy dehydrators of today?! They work so much faster and have all the bells and whistles necessary to create a perfect piece of dried food.

What are some benefits of dehydrating fruits and vegetables?

Preservation and Storage

Drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. It removes enough moisture to prevent decay and spoilage. Using a dehydrator is a great way to enjoy eating produce when it’s technically out of season, and is great alternative to canning or freezing foods.

Convenience

Dried fruit or vegetables is convenient to pack for anyone “on-the-go” because it doesn’t need to be refrigerated, it’s not messy or sticky, it’s compact and doesn’t take up a lot of space, it doesn’t weigh much, and it provides quick energy.

When backpacking or camping, brighten your meal by adding dehydrated vegetables.

Quick Energy

Speaking of quick energy, dried fruit is very calorically dense. Because the fruit loses water during the drying process, the nutrient, calorie, and sugar content become more concentrated.  Some would say this is a negative, but I think that depends on who you ask. If you’re out hiking, biking, skiing, or even sight-seeing, a high calorie dried fruit snack is a great way to refuel.

Nutritional Value

Nutritiously, the heat from dehydrating does tend to destroy some vitamins in the food, but fortunately dried fruit retains all of its fiber and iron. Fiber is associated with lowering risk of certain cancers such as colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers. Also, a home dehydrator is not nearly as harsh on nutrients compared to the commercial process of drying. Dried fruit contains no fat, cholesterol, or sodium. Another perk of using your own dehydrator—you can ensure no additives or preservatives, and also use organic when desired.

Variety with Vegetables

When dehydrating vegetables, select veggies at peak flavor and eating quality. This usually is just as they reach maturity. Sweet corn and green peas, however, should be slightly immature so they retain their sweet flavor before their sugars change to starch. The options are endless when it comes to dehydrating vegetables. From tomatoes, green beans and kale to bell peppers, peas, and broccoli, the variety is one of the best things about dehydrating.

Here’s a tasty appetizer using dried cranberries.

Goat cheese with pistachios and cranberries

2 Tbsp roasted pistachios, chopped

2 Tbsp dried cranberries, chopped

1 8- to 10-ounce log fresh goat cheese

Crackers or bread, for serving

Directions:

1. On a large plate, combine the pistachios and cranberries

2. Roll the goat cheese in the fruit-and-nut mixture to coat.  Serve with crackers or bread.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Recipe courtesy of Real Simple.

Visiting my grandparent’s house brings me such fond memories. One of those memories, of all things, is eating the delicious dried fruit grandma made! She filled hundreds of ziplock bags with dried plums, pears, peaches, and apples, all picked from the orchards around her house. She also dried bananas and it was all a treat I looked forward to every visit.

Believe it or not, my grandma constructed her own dehydrator 30+ years ago! She built a wood box with shelves; added screens and an electric fan to the back of the box. I still remember that box always sitting on a table on her back patio as the fan slowly dried out the fruit. Wouldn’t she be astonished by the fancy dehydrators of today?! They work so much faster and have all the bells and whistles necessary to create a perfect piece of dried food.

What are some benefits of dehydrating fruits and vegetables?

Preservation and Storage

Drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. It removes enough moisture to prevent decay and spoilage. Using a dehydrator is a great way to enjoy eating produce when it’s technically out of season, and is great alternative to canning or freezing foods.

Convenience

Dried fruit or vegetables is convenient to pack for anyone “on-the-go” because it doesn’t need to be refrigerated, it’s not messy or sticky, it’s compact and doesn’t take up a lot of space, it doesn’t weigh much, and it provides quick energy.

When backpacking or camping, brighten your meal by adding dehydrated vegetables.

Quick Energy

Speaking of quick energy, dried fruit is very calorically dense. Because the fruit loses water during the drying process, the nutrient, calorie, and sugar content become more concentrated.  Some would say this is a negative, but I think that depends on who you ask. If you’re out hiking, biking, skiing, or even sight-seeing, a high calorie dried fruit snack is a great way to refuel.

Nutritional Value

Nutritiously, the heat from dehydrating does tend to destroy some vitamins in the food, but fortunately dried fruit retains all of its fiber and iron. Fiber is associated with lowering risk of certain cancers such as colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal cancers. Also, a home dehydrator is not nearly as harsh on nutrients compared to the commercial process of drying. Dried fruit contains no fat, cholesterol, or sodium. Another perk of using your own dehydrator—you can ensure no additives or preservatives, and also use organic when desired.

Variety with Vegetables

When dehydrating vegetables, select veggies at peak flavor and eating quality. This usually is just as they reach maturity. Sweet corn and green peas, however, should be slightly immature so they retain their sweet flavor before their sugars change to starch. The options are endless when it comes to dehydrating vegetables. From tomatoes, green beans and kale to bell peppers, peas, and broccoli, the variety is one of the best things about dehydrating.

Here’s a tasty appetizer using dried cranberries.

Goat cheese with pistachios and cranberries

2 Tbsp roasted pistachios, chopped

2 Tbsp dried cranberries, chopped

1 8- to 10-ounce log fresh goat cheese

Crackers or bread, for serving

Directions:

1. On a large plate, combine the pistachios and cranberries

2. Roll the goat cheese in the fruit-and-nut mixture to coat.  Serve with crackers or bread.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Live Superfoods

Recipe courtesy of Real Simple.