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No Need to Slay a Dragon

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on June 2, 2016

I recently found this fruit at my local grocery store and had no idea what it was. When I got home I quickly researched it online and found some interesting information.

This fruit is called dragon fruit and it is one of the most colorful fruits found in nature. It is a vivid pink with yellow and green tipped spines. It is native to Mexico, Central America, and South America and popular also in Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Dragon fruit is often called pitaya in South America and it is comparable to kiwi due to it tiny black seeds when cut open.
The taste is described as being similar to the combination of a kiwi, pear, and watermelon.

When cutting a dragon fruit make sure that it is not hard and has some give when you start to cut it. But make sure that it is not too soft or it will be over-ripe. It is best served chilled and chopped into small pieces.

Dragon fruit contains anti-oxidants, vitamin C, B vitamins, phosphorous, calcium, fiber, iron, and protein. It protects against cancer, helps with digestive health, builds strong bones and teeth, enhances heart health, and strengthens the immune system.

The most common place to find a dragon fruit is in local neighborhood Chinatowns around the United States and in many other groceries as they try to expand produce choices to their customers. So if you don’t want to slay a dragon, try some dragon fruit to give you a little taste of what a dragon can be.

For more information about healthy food choices try our book, Too Busy to Diet.

Jacqueline King, MS, RDN, CDE, FADA