The pineapple loves blazing sun and high, tropical temperatures. Accordingly, a ripe pineapple tastes exotic, sweet and juicy. Apart from the delicious taste, the southern fruit is also a beautifier and slimmer: pineapple is full of nutrients and thus strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure, lifts the mood and regulates digestion. Since pineapple also stimulates fat burning, many health-conscious people rely on the detoxifying effect of a pineapple diet.
Pineapple: calories and nutrients
In a pineapple are not only the plump energy of the sun, but also plenty of A vitamins, B vitamins and C vitamins. However, the high proportion of enzymes in pineapple is particularly appreciated: the healthy southern fruit is rich in bromelin, amylase, perodixase and invertase. In addition, there are numerous minerals and trace elements. The enzymes support protein digestion and stimulate fat burning, making the pineapple diet a popular weight loss tool. Although the pineapple contains between seven and 15 percent fructose, depending on the degree of ripeness, this is immediately converted by the body into glucose and can thus be utilized directly. 100 grams of pineapple contain about 55 kilocalories – making it a healthy, low-calorie food.
Lose weight with the pineapple diet
Due to the detoxifying effect and the low amount of calories in pineapple, the fruit is well suited for a diet day. Longer than one to two days, a pineapple diet should not be carried out, because such a diet quickly becomes too one-sided and lacks vital nutrients such as protein, fat and minerals such as iodine or zinc. Although the pineapple diet guarantees rapid weight loss, it consists largely of water. Pineapple is therefore less suitable for losing weight, but rather for conscious detoxification. On such a diet day, up to two kilos of pineapple should be consumed raw or as juice. If this is too one-sided, you can add other enzyme-rich foods such as kiwis or papayas.
Buying pineapple the right way
Pineapples ripen only slightly, which is why there are major differences in quality between airborne pineapples and fruit imported by ship in stores. The former are harvested ripe and thus also have a fruity, fresh, unadulterated taste. Cheap pineapple is usually harvested early and ripens slightly on the ship, which often makes the taste somewhat sour. In any case, this southern fruit should be intensely fragrant when purchased and the flesh should yield slightly to finger pressure. The leaves should be dark green, the fruit bright yellow to orange in color. Tip: If the leaves can be easily pulled out, the pineapple is ripe for consumption. Since the fruit is sold ripe, it should also be eaten relatively soon after purchase. At most, a pineapple should be stored at home for two to three days.
Cut pineapple – this is how to do it!
To cut a pineapple, proceed as follows:
- First cut off the green stalk.
- Then quarter the fruit lengthwise with a long knife.
- Cut out the woody center.
- The quarters of the pineapple can now be cut crosswise into slices and bite off to the hard skin. Alternatively, you can cut the slice before eating.
If something remains of the tropical fruit, it can be kept in the refrigerator under cling film for up to three days if necessary.
Recipe: pineapple cake for dessert
The pineapple is a versatile fruit and tastes not only fresh, but also canned, ice cream, jam, juice, vinegar or wine. A popular pineapple recipe is pineapple upside down cake, which works well as a summer fresh dessert. Following the instructions below, you will succeed in making this delicious dessert:
- Beat a cup of cream with 200 grams of powdered sugar until stiff.
- Fold in one package of cottage cheese.
- Peel a large pineapple and cut out seven slices from the middle. Dice the remaining flesh and add to the quark cream.
- Then place a cake ring around a sponge cake base and spread with the cream. Distribute the pineapple slices decoratively on top.
- Let the finished cake rest in the refrigerator for two hours, then serve as a delicious pineapple dessert or with coffee.
Origin and growth of the tropical fruit
The origin of the pineapple is believed to be in South America. Today it is grown in almost all tropical and subtropical countries, especially in Thailand and the Philippines.There, the fruits grow in a wide variety of local varieties mostly on large cultivation plantations. The pineapple plant consists of a kind of perennial with long, pointed, sharp leaves that are arranged in rosettes. In the middle of these, a long inflorescence with over 100 flowers grows after about a year. If these are not pollinated, they develop into berries that eventually grow into a single large fruit – the pineapple as we know it.
