More Papayas Please!

With summer here and the weather getting warmer each day, it’s time to stock up on fruits that offer great taste as well as keeping you cool and refreshed. What fruits come to mind? What fruits do you crave the most on those hot summer days?

You may typically think of watermelon, honeydew, melons, berries, mangoes and pineapples. However, do you know there’s a fruit you’re missing!? Papayas are also very refreshing, but are often a forgotten fruit. Its soft bright orange inside is more than just a sweet tropical delicacy; it is rich in nutrients and has various added health benefits that many people are not aware of.

Luckily, June is National Papaya Month, which makes right now the perfecttime to tell you all about them!

Papaya Nutrition

Although papayas are often forgotten, they provide important nutrients that will keep your body healthy. Some of the nutrients it provides includes:

• Fiber, which helps keep you full and aids in digestion. It also can help stabilize your blood sugar levels and aid in lowering cholesterol levels, which promote a healthy heart.
• Vitamin C, which helps to keep your immune system healthy and plays a critical role in the production of collagen, a type of protein that makes up the structure of your skin and bones.
• Vitamin A, which plays an important role in your eye health, aids in keeping your immune system functioning properly and promotes normal growth and development of the cells in your body.
• Folate,which aids in keep your central nervous system (think brain) functioning properly and is necessary to create red blood cells.

Papayas also contains two types of important enzymes, papain and chymopapain, which act as anti-inflammatory agents that can keep inflammation down to prevent chronic diseases. Who knew that this exotic fruit could assist your body in the prevention of so many diseases?

5 Refreshing Papaya Meals and Snacks

Now that you know more about the papaya, let’s focus on how you can include it in your day!

1. Trim the skin and dice into cubes to mix in with other tropical fruits or fruits of your choice for a fresh fruit salad.
2. Dice into chunks and throw into a blender with Greek yogurt, milk and or water to create a sweet smoothie.
3. Mix papaya with spices and lime juice to create a quick, easy and tangy salsa!
4. Add into Greek yogurt for a quick snack. Mix with walnuts for additional fiber and nutrients.
5. Cut papaya in half, scoop out the seeds and enjoy as is!

If you’re looking for more ideas, check out my recipe for Papaya Strawberry Soup with Ginger and Lime and my Papaya Peach Salsa!

Papaya’s peak season starts in the early summer, but they can be found all year round! This fruit serves as the perfect example of a food that tastes as good as it is good for you. So yes, more papayas please!

Your turn to take action:How will you incorporate papayas into your dishes? Let me know in the comments below!

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