Powerful Winter Fruits

Many winter fruits are packed with fresh flavor and excellent nutrition—and boast as much or more health benefits as some of summer’s favorites. Add these fabulous fruits to your shopping basket this season and enjoy!

Clementine

The smallest of the mandarin oranges, clementines are a tasty, nutritious snack: eat two and you get a day’s worth of vitamin C, for only 70 calories.

Grapefruit

Sweet, tart and tangy, grapefruit are in their prime during the winter. Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber, potassium and folate. The pink and red varieties provide lycopene, an antioxidant associated with prostate health. Studies have shown that the soluble fiber in grapefruit may be beneficial in lowering cholesterol.

Kiwi

A study from Rutgers University compared 27 of the most popular fruits, determining that the kiwi is the most nutritionally dense of them all. One tangy-sweet kiwi supplies a full day’s dose of vitamin C, plus good amounts of potassium, a mineral linked with healthy blood pressure. Plus, kiwi contains more vitamin E, an antioxidant, and more lutein, a nutrient connected with protecting your vision, than almost every other fruit or vegetable—for only 50 calories. Enjoy a kiwi unadorned: simply cut it in half and scoop with a spoon.

Mango

Mangoes are the world’s most heavily consumed fruit—not surprising when there are more than 1,000 known varieties. The deep orange color of a mango comes from beta carotene, a powerful antioxidant. Mangoes also contain good amounts of vitamin C and fiber. For a quick mango smoothie, combine 1 cup diced mango, 1 banana, 1 cup vanilla yogurt and a splash of orange juice in a blender and mix.

Persimmon

With an intoxicating flavor of honeyed pumpkin and ripe apricot, one persimmon boasts about half the vitamin C and a quarter of the fiber you need each day. For a simple salsa, combine diced permission with minced onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Serve on fish tacos or with tortilla chips.

from Msn Health