New Food of the Week Challenge – Kiwi

Each week I bring you a new food to try for the New Food of the Week Challenge. This food challenge introduces you to new foods and urges you to add more real foods to your diet as part of the Real Food Experience. This week, kiwifruit is the new food. Have you tried it before?

Kiwifruits, also called Kiwis or Gooseberries, have a brown fuzzy skin and bright green flesh flecked with tiny black seeds. The average size is about 3 inches long. The flesh of the kiwi is creamy and sweet. It reminds me of a combination of strawberries and melon. You can find it in grocery stores year around. From November through May, kiwis come in from California. From June through October, the fruit is imported from New Zealand.

Kiwifruits are a perfect food to add to your diet if you are looking for healthy foods. They are:

• Packed with vitamin C. They have 2.5 times the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
• Are fat-free.
• Loaded with fiber: Two kiwifruits contain more fiber than a bowl of bran cereal.
• Loaded with potassium: One serving has more potassium than a banana.
• Excellent source of antioxidants.
• Low on the glycemic index making it great for diabetics.
• Good source of Magnesium: 15 mg of magnesium per fruit.

How to Select and Store

You want to select the sweetest fruits. To do this, pick one up and hold it between your thumb and forefinger. Apply a gentle pressure and those that give slightly are the ones you want. Avoid fruits that are very soft, shriveled or have bruised or damp spots.

If kiwifruits do not yield when you apply gentle pressure, they can be left to ripen for a few days to a week at room temperature, away from direct sunlight or heat. Placing the fruits in a paper bag with an banana will help to speed their ripening process. Ripe kiwifruits can be stored either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Tips for Preparing Kiwifruit

Kiwifruits are so delicious that they can be eaten raw. There are two popular ways to prepare kiwifruit. The first is to peel the fruit with a paring knife and then slice it. The second is to slice the kiwifruit lengthwise in half. Then use a spoon to scoop the flesh from each half. You can also eat the skin. (I didn't know that until I was researching for this article). The skin is loaded with fiber and nutrients.  Just rinse it off and bite right in! (This I'll have to try.)

Kiwifruits should be eaten shortly after cutting them. They contain enzymes that make them get soggy/overly soft if left too long once cut. If you are adding kiwifruit to fruit salad, you should do so at the last minute as to prevent the fruit from becoming too soggy.

Ways to Enjoy

• Add kiwifruit to green or fruit salads
• Serve sliced kiwifruit and strawberries over  yogurt
• Create a salsa of chopped kiwifruit, pineapple, red onion, and jalapeno to be served alongside chicken or fish
• Blend kiwifruit and cantaloupe in a food processor to make a chilled soup, adding yogurt for a creamier consistency
• Add kiwifruit to a fruit tart
• Puree the fruit and serve over desserts or ice cream. Just be sure to not over blend/puree and break the seeds. It will change color.

So as you can see, kiwifruit are a great source of vitamins and nutrients. They be found year around and can be used in a variety of ways. This week find a new way to try this delicious fruit. Come back and share your thoughts with us later in the week. I want to hear how you did in this food challenge.

How do you like to eat kiwifruit?