A regular-sized mango has about 25 grams of sugar. That is why I love them.
My favorite fruit changes all the time. Usually it's whatever I happen to be eating at the moment. I love the fact that since I gave up sugar, a piece of fruit can satisfy my sweet tooth. This is particularly true with mangoes.
Trader Joes has a variety in stock right now called the
Champagne Mango. It is smallish and the best type of mango I've ever tasted. I'm writing about mangoes for two reasons. One is because if you are trying to stay away from white sugary treats, load up on mangoes. Ripe and unripe. Eat the ripe mangoes soon and save the unripened ones for later in the week. (If they get overripe, cut out the meat and freeze it. Add it to a smoothie.) The other reason I feel the need to mention mangoes is that they can be intimidating to peel and eat--but I have found the answer!
My father-in-law gave me this great little mango-peeling invention and it looks like this:
In one easy swipe, it cuts through the entire mango, leaving you with three pieces.
At this point, depending on how you plan on eating the mango, there are many ways to attack the fruit. If you just need that sweet, juicy, unique taste of mango, then grab your serrated grapefruit spoon and dig in! I take one side at a time and scoop out the meat using this spoon.
It's more difficult doing this to the middle/pit of the mango, so I usually eat around it like an apple. If you are using mango slices for a dish, then simply take a knife and carefully carve out chunks of meat.
The mango-slicer-contraption is definitely worth having. Before I owned it, I would usually pass on mangoes at the store because they were such a pain in the neck to open. Trying to peel them was ridiculous and slicing them and trying to cut the skin off was a joke. For me, anyway.
Hope this tidbit is useful, and I would highly recommend loading up on mangoes! Your sweet tooth will be happy, you will be happy, and your body will be happy.
Mangoes are high in Vitamin A and C, and they are a good source of fiber. The only catch is that, "A large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars." (1) The high amount of natural sugar is what makes the mango a perfect substitute for refined sugar. It's the reason they are so sinful to me. I love sweet things and this packs a natural, sweet punch that does the trick.
On a side note, I also love the unsweetened dried mango that TJ's usually carries in the dried fruit section. It's addictive, but healthy. I'm happy to be eating a handful of dried fruit these days instead of a handful of Oreos.
(1) http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1952/2
