Back when I was a working single gal and living with my parents in Pennsylvania, my aunt and grandmother came to visit from Korea. My aunt would wake up really early in the morning and prepare breakfast for everyone. She’d force us all to eat a hearty helping of whatever she could find in the house, such as toast or bagels, as well as a huge platter of cut up fruit. No one could escape off to work until we had our fill. The selection of pastries varied, as well as the fruit, but the one thing that she consistently fed us were kiwis.
I thought this was really strange, because I know it’s normal to eat berries, bananas, or cantaloupe for breakfast, but kiwis? She INSISTED that we had to have kiwis every morning because this would help my grandmother’s eye sight and digestion, and it would also be good for our skin. I thought these were her own weird made-up facts, or something she read out of the Korean newspaper.
In spite of my doubts, I behaved as a good niece and ate the kiwis anyways…everyday…for a good month or so. And because of that, to this day, anytime I eat a kiwi, I think of my aunt.
Now that I’m married, living in California and in charge of my own food, I don’t normally gravitate towards purchasing kiwis at the grocery store. I think they’re a hit or miss. Sometimes they’re super sweet and delicious, and other times, they’re so overly tart. Plus I think they’re annoying to peel for such small pieces of fruit. No thank you.
But one day, the hubster and I were at Costco and I saw that there was this hefty plastic container full of kiwis on sale for some ridiculously low price, like $3.00. It’s pretty sad to say, but truth be told, most of this blog is dictated by whatever is on sale at the grocery store.
Once I came home with this bursting box, we were stuck eating them everyday. That’s when I got curious and started to do some research on kiwis. And what do you know? It turns out that my good ol’ aunt was right all along!
These are the simple kiwi facts:
1. Kiwis are good for your eyesight: They contain lutein which can help prevent cataracts!
2. Kiwis are good for your skin: They contain antioxidant vitamin E which makes skin beautiful!
3. Kiwis are good for your health: They contain fiber, potassium, and clean out cholesterol!
4. Kiwis are good for your diet: They are low calorie, rich in Vitamin C, and contain omega-3 fatty acids!
So it seems like there are tons of benefits for eating these little green jewels after all.
You can eat them sliced as a snack or dessert, blend them in a smoothie, or marinate meat with them. Yup, they are a natural meat tenderizer, due to their natural acidity!
But I discovered that I really enjoyed eating them sliced up in salads! Even if you’re not a huge fan of fruit in food, the kiwis are both sweet and tart, which works perfectly against some crunchy lettuce greens and a light lemony vinaigrette. The kiwi slices add a nice refreshing touch.
So the moral of this short story kids? A kiwi a day can keep the eye doctor and dermatologist away. In other words, unless you’re allergic, maybe you should take a hint from my Korean aunt and cut up a kiwi today.
