Mangoes are in season during the holidays, and what better way to enjoy the summer than with some juicy, sweet mangoes on the menu. In this week’s post we encourage you to take advantage of the mango season and take a closer look at Mangoes, they’re not just delicious but good for you too!

Nutritional Gems

Mangoes are high in energy, low in fat, and chock full of goodness – just one 200g serve of ripe mango (less than one whole mango) provides you with up to 3x your recommended daily intake of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. They’re also a great source of Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Calcium, Fibre, Potassium and Beta-Carotene.  This means they can help all sorts of bodily functions – from digestion to eye health, eating mangoes can help improve overall health.

Beat the Heat

Juicing the fruit from green mangoes and mixing with water and a sweetener can help cool down the body and help your kidneys release toxins in the process.

Fit for Summer

Trying to shape up for summer? Ripe mangoes are great as a snack or part of a healthy meal. Because mangoes are low GI, most of their energy comes from carbohydrate which is absorbed slowly into the body; this helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and keeps you satisfied for longer. You can eat them fresh or also try having dried mangoes as a crunchy snack – they are probably the tastiest dehydrate you’ll ever try.

Glowing Skin

Mangoes are great both internally and externally for the skin. Incorporating mangoes into a facial or face mask can help clean clogged pores and eliminate pimples. You can use them on any skin type. Try slicing a mango into thin pieces and put them on your face for 10 to 15 minutes, afterwards take a bath or wash your face and your face will see the difference.

Where are they from?

In Australia, mangoes are grown in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. According to Australia’s official Mango site, 92% of the Australian crop is consumed domestically. Of this, 95% is sold through ‘fresh’ supply chain and the remainder is utilised by the processing sector, with 8% exported overseas.

How do you know if a mango is ripe?

Forget about colour, it’s not the best indicator of ripeness. It’s all about the feel. Squeeze the mango gently – a ripe mango will give slightly. Mangoes become softer as they ripen. Another hint as to the ripeness is their smell. Ripe mangoes will sometimes have a fruity aroma at their stem end.