Clementine: Fruit of the Month

We have all seen the Cuties® commercials with the kids not sharing this sweet treat with the parents, right? Don’t let this fool you; this fruit is nutritiously amazing for adults as well. And now is the perfect time of year to incorporate these into our diets, as in the winter many other fruits can be expensive and out of season. We love clementines in our house—my kids and fiancé eat them like candy.

Plus, an added bonus? They are much easier to peel than an orange and a great source of vitamins.

Nutrients

Nutritionally, one clementine is about 35 calories, .1g fat, 9g carbs and .6g protein. You do, however, need to be careful and not eat too many since they have 7g of sugar per fruit as well. I always recommend pairing a carb (especially one high in sugar with a protein to slow the absorption rate of the sugar so insulin doesn’t spike).

So what are the health benefits of a clementine?

Well one fruit contains about 60 percent of your daily value of vitamin C needed, so incorporate 2 clementines and you’ve had over 100 percent for the day. Yay for you!

And that’s not all.

Through its other vitamins and minerals, such as B vitamins, folate, calcium, iron, potassium, copper and many others, clementines are good for your brain, aid in cardiovascular and digestive health, are an immune system booster, can aid in reducing stress and depression—and more. Even just the scent of a peeled clementine is invigorating and refreshing.

So how can you use this delicious fruit outside of just eating it on your own? I love to throw them on a salad, in a yogurt parfait or smoothie, or even on chicken and fish. They can add so much flavor to a dish!

Don’t believe me? Try this recipe. I thought it was not only fitting for this fruit, but this time of year with flus and colds going around. Enjoy!

Immune-Boosting Smoothie

Makes: 20 ounces (or three 6.5-ounce servings)

Ingredients:

8 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into chunks

2-3 tablespoons honey

1/2 cup fresh squeezed clementine juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

6 ounces plain or vanilla yogurt

Optional: 1/2-1 teaspoon minced ginger or 2 scoops of protein powder

Directions:

Add all ingredients to blender, pulse and blend until liquefied and smooth. Taste and adjust.