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
8 comments:
I just bought a champagne mango at whole foods. Like an hour ago! I'm excited to eat it. Every time I eat a mango, I ask myself, "Why have I ever eaten candy in my life?"
There are useless kitchen gadgets, and then there are useless kitchen gadgets you NEED. And wow, I NEED that contraption.
Wow you posted this at perfect timing for me! I've been making mango smoothies ever since reading Gillian McKeith's suggestion that they are great for people with chronic constipation. TMI!!!! But whatever. So I bought frozen mangos. Cos I could not open them without making a mess. Now that I've read your blog, I feel like I have a better idea of how to manage. Thanks!
Wow. Weird. I was just planning my grocery store run for next week and mangoes are at the top of the list. They truly are an amazing alternative to the white stuff. and now that I can go find a tool to help prepare them, they will be that much easier to enjoy - Thanks for the tip!!!
Maddie-I asked myself that same question!
Samantha-It's truly hard to understand until you use it, this coming from someone who is not a gadget person...
Farty Girl-For smoothies, I freeze mango chunks, too. But you've got to treat yourself to a fresh, ripe mango. There is nothing on earth like it.
JamiK-Oh good! Load up!
I looked up this do-dad online and found that Target carries the mango splitter. Here is the link: http://www.target.com/dp/B000MFINSO/ref=gp_se_search-results-asin-redirect Sometimes they don't carry everything at the store and you have to order it online.
That is a handy little device! I use a very sharp paring knife to peel but I always make a big mess :-)
I love mangoes, especially those champagne ones. I actually have not had one in a year now, so that reminds me to pick some up.
It's one of those things that I forget just how good they are, until I finally have it again. Then I think "Wow, why did I wait so long?"
Mangoes are so good when they are ripe and I recently discovered Indian recipes that use the unripe mangoes!
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