Four Exotic Fruits to Discover!

It is well-established fact that we should eat fruits every day. An essential part of a well-balanced diet, fruits are bursting with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. And the best part is that the more you vary the fruits you eat, the greater the health benefits. Therefore, I suggest we go on a little trip across the globe to discover new exotic fruits that are not only surprising, but even more so, delicious!

Let’s make a first stop in the Caribbean to take a look at the guava. It’s yellowish/greenish peel will develop dark spots when the fruit is ripe. Intensely aromatic, the guava’s flavour is reminiscent of strawberries and peaches, which makes it a perfect fruit to eat as-is. You’ll need to eat an entire one, maybe even two of them to get a full serving of fruit, as its size can vary from 3 to 12 cm, depending on the various types of species. (Photo credit: iga.net)

Next, let’s go to Colombia, in South America, where the pitahaya, or pitaya, is grown. Just like its nickname refers to, the “dragon fruit” is a tough boy with a mellow heart. This thorny fruit grows on cactuses, but don’t be fooled by appearances: you can easily slice through it with a knife to reveal its white flesh full of edible seeds. Savour it with a spoon, and if you want to enhance its flavour, refrigerate it, and sprinkle with lemon juice before serving. (Photo credit: iga.net)

Now, let’s fly across the Pacific to the Philippines Islands, where we’ll find out about the carambola. Cut it into slices to get beautifully shape five-pointed stars. Eat it very ripe, i.e. when it becomes bright yellow and the extremities are starting to brown. If you purchase it green, all you have to do is leave it at room temperature and wait for time to do its work. Add it to Asian dishes, or display on a serving tray and you’ll be sure to impress your guests! (Photo credit: readers digest)

To conclude our journey, I suggest we go to Thailand, in Southeast Asia, to discover the pomelo. It is the largest and heaviest fruit of the citrus family, with a thick peel to protect its light lemon-flavoured flesh. A quick search is enough to find out this surprising fact: unbeknownst to most people in the United States and Europe, the fruit that we call grapefruit (citrus xparadisi) is in fact a hybrid between the pomelo (citrus maxima) and a type of orange (citrus sinensis). Until we shed the light on this matter, we can benefit from discovering this fruit, regardless of its real name. It is especially suited for adding a fresh touch to salads. Try this fresh citrus salad! (Photo credit: adrianlupsa.wordpress.com/2013/07/13/5-benefits-of-pomelo/ and wikipedia)

Fortunately, you won’t have to travel around the world to experience these exotic fruits. Despite their faraway origins, they are widely available year-round in supermarkets and greengrocers. Trying these new fruits is an excellent way to break up your routine and take true pleasure in gastronomy. And you, what fruits do you eat to brighten up your day?

Dominique Longpré, P. Dt., nutritionist for Zero Diet

The Zero Diet brand is first and foremost the conviction that healthy eating is a primary factor to attaining a healthy weight and a balanced lifestyle. Thus, we offer nutrition counselling with nutritionists who are members of the OPDQ with our Zero Diet nutrition program in our centers and in companies. We have also developed a healthy frozen food product line that fulfills rigorous nutritional criteria as well as two healthy Zero Diet cookbooks.

Photo credit: Pexel

Four Exotic Fruits to Discover! is a post from Nautilus Plus. The Nautilus Plus blog aims to help people in their journey to fitness through articles on training, nutrition, motivation, exercise and healthy recipes.
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