Passion Fruit is No Basic Berry!

By Tami Charbonnet

Building a nutrition plan rich in essential vitamins is challenging when we eat the same foods over and over again.  Understanding the benefits of adding nutrients to our daily food consumption encourages us to try a variety of fruits and vegetables.  

Bored with basic berries?   If you tend to get bored with your food, step of your “basic berry” comfort zone and indulge in a naturally tasty treat with an exotic flare! Passion fruit is becoming increasingly popular among the health conscious. It is a nutrient-dense, tropical fruit rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals beneficial to human health.    Researchers recently found that passion fruit promotes relaxation and may help cure insomnia.

Although these magically delicious berries vary in size and color, the most common are the yellow and purple varieties.

This tropical or subtropical fruit is actually a variety of berry gown on a vine.  It has a tough outer rind, but opens to a bright, fragrant, juicy seed-filled center.   Despite its small size, it’s a rich source of antioxidants and contains vitamins and plant compounds that benefit human health.  Passion fruit is a good source of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A.  

It may not seem like much, but these are the values for a single, small fruit that contains only 17 calories. Calorie for calorie, it’s a good source of fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A.”  Add passion fruit to your present diet and enjoy the magic of this nutrient-dense, exotic fruit. 

There are five colorful varieties of this small but vitamin-dense fruit:
Purple Passion, Yellow Passion, Sweet Passion or Sweet Granadilla, Giant Passion or Granilla, Banana Passion

Refreshing Passion Fruit Elixer

Ingredients:

•  2-4 fresh mint leaves
•  2 tablespoons raw local honey
•  1 ounce (30ml) fresh lemon juice
•  1 tablespoon fresh passionfruit juice 
•  6 ounces (180ml) Alkaline Water

Directions:

1. Combine the mint leaves, honey, and citrus juice together.
2. Add passionfruit juice and water to the mix.   
3. Chill in a glass container for one hour or pour over ice and enjoy.