Kiwi Recipes & How-To Tips

As much potassium as a banana! Twice the vitamin C of an orange! Able to thin blood and lower triglycerides! Kiwifruit is a superfood for your heart.

by Marsha McCulloch, RD, LD

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Kiwifruit Benefits

Kiwi Shopping Guide

How to Peel a Kiwi

How to Eat a Kiwi

Kiwi-Melon Cooler

Kiwi Salad with Honey-Mint Dressing

Shrimp and Kiwi Salad

Kiwi Chicken Tostada

Kiwi Peach Cobbler

Kiwi-Stuffed Puffed Pancakes

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The Cleveland Clinic, a premier U.S. heart hospital, has recommended kiwis as one of the 40 most powerful foods for heart health.

Scientists at Rutgers University in New Jersey ranked the kiwifruit No. 1 in nutritional value (followed by papaya, cantaloupe, and strawberry) among 27 of the most popular fruits.

"A serving of two kiwifruits gives you as much potassium as a banana and twice the vitamin C of an orange," says Karen Brux, North America general manager of Zespri International, the world's largest marketer of kiwifruit.

Preliminary small research studies suggest that eating about two kiwifruits a day may help:

-- thin the blood and reduce blood clotting (similar to the effects of daily aspirin)
-- lower triglycerides (blood fats)
-- maintain regularity (even if eaten without the skin)
-- support your immune system
-- protect against cancer

Read on to gain confidence and knowledge in shopping for, storing, peeling, eating, and cooking with kiwifruit.

Kiwifruit Benefits

Kiwifruit is a good source of fiber and antioxidant vitamins C and E. Plus, it has substantial amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin, two plant-base nutrients important for eye health.

"Eating kiwifruit may help reduce cardiovascular disease risk through the beneficial combination of fiber, potassium, magnesium, antioxidants, and other plant-base nutrients," says Metin Guldas, Ph.D., a food science researcher at Uludag University in Bursa, Turkey.

Per serving: 46 calories, 0 g fat, 11g carb., 2 g fiber, 237 mg potassium, 70.5 mg vitamin C, 1.5 IU vitamin E

Kiwi Shopping Guide

There are more than 40 varieties of kiwifruit (and more are being developed).

The three most popular types of kiwi are:

1. Green Kiwi: Its light brown fuzzy skin and year-round availability makes green kiwi the most recognizable. It has tiny edible black seeds and a tart-sweet flavor.

2. Gold Kiwi: Has golden yellow flesh with smooth, edible skin (similar to a pear). The flavor is tropical-sweet and mellow.

3. Baby Kiwi: Only available in early fall, baby kiwi is about the size of a grape. It has a more intense flavor and sweetness than the green kiwi.

How to Peel a Kiwi

Peeling a kiwi is simple and requires just two steps.

Step 1: First, wash the kiwifruit. Place it on its side and cut off both ends.

Step 2: Turn the kiwifruit upright and cut off the skin in long strips, following the curve of the fruit. Slice thinly to preserve many nutrients near the skin.

Tip: Eating the kiwifruit skin triples the fiber, researchers say. Also, the highest concentration of vitamin C in kiwifruit is right below the fruit's skin. You may prefer to eat the skin of the fuzz-free gold kiwifruit rather than the skin of the fuzzy green variety.

How to Eat a Kiwi

Ready to eat? As with any fruit, start by washing the kiwi. Then try one of these methods:

Option 1: Cut the kiwi in half and scoop out fruit with a spoon.

Option 2: Slice the kiwi into coins (peeled or not).

Option 3: Cut the kiwi into whole quarters lengthwise (peeled or not).

Kiwi-Melon Cooler

Toss kiwi, apple juice, and honeydew melon in your blender for a delicious, heart-healthy shake.

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Kiwi Salad with Honey-Mint Dressing

You'll need 25 minutes and four kiwis for this refreshing side dish. Mint, lime juice, honey, cantaloupe, and a few other light-bite favorites add up to just 68 calories per serving.

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Shrimp and Kiwi Salad

A tangy seafood appetizer doesn't have to take a lot of time. The simple-to-make marinade includes kiwi, lime peel, and a dash of hot pepper sauce for kick.

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Kiwi Chicken Tostada

Six-inch corn tortillas make the base of this jalapeño pepper-enhanced treat. Sandwich sliced kiwi between chicken breast strips and romaine lettuce for the topping.

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Kiwi Peach Cobbler

For just 262 calories (and very little cholesterol), you can enjoy this kiwi-enhanced dessert. Basic baking ingredients, fresh peaches, and a few sweet spices finish it off.

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Kiwi-Stuffed Puffed Pancakes

Whip up these low-calorie puffed pancakes in 25 minutes and you'll have a breakfast everyone will love. You pick the fruit stuffing, but we love kiwis, strawberries, and peaches.

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Kiwi Recipes & How-To Tips

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