It’s raining mangoes! Did you know that 1 serving (70 g) of Mango can satisfy up to 55% of your daily Vitamin C needs? It is also a good source of Vitamin A in the form of Beta carotene. The two most popular mango variants that are in season nowadays are Indian Mangoes and Carabao Mangoes. They can be eaten ripe or unripe and can be eaten fresh or as a flavoring ingredient in savory dishes.
1 serving of unripe Indian Mango is equivalent to:
● ½ cup sliced
● 1 piece (6.5 cm diameter)
● 80 g edible portion, no peel and no seed
● 140 g fruit with peel and seed
1 serving of ripe Carabao Mango is equivalent to:
● ½ cup sliced
● 1 slice (8 x 7 cm)
● 70 g edible portion, no peel and no seed
● 104 g fruit with peel
Here are some of the health benefits of Mangoes:
1. It is a good source of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant that scavenges free radicals that cause cellular damage. It also plays a role in boosting the immune system and maintaining healthy skin, joints, and bones. Unripe mangoes have higher Vitamin C content as compared to ripe mangoes. Vitamin C can be destroyed by too much heat or food processing so it is better to eat the fruit fresh.
2. It is a good source of Vitamin A in the form of Beta Carotene. Our body converts Beta carotene into Vitamin A which is needed for the maintenance of eye and skin health. Beta carotene is found in yellow-orange fruits and vegetables such as Mangoes. Ripe mangoes have a more yellow-orange color. Thus, it contains more beta carotene as compared to unripe mangoes. Choose ripe mangoes if you want to add more beta carotene into your diet.
Add Mangoes into your diet by:
● Eating peeled and sliced unripe mangoes as a snack with salt or bagoong. (Use salt and bagoong in moderation for those with Hypertension)
● Making dried mango, pickled mangoes, mango jam or mango jelly.
● Using unripe mango as a souring agent for sinigang and other sour dishes such as Sinigang na Manok sa Mangga and Sinigang na Lechon.
● Using ripe mangoes in making fruit shakes or smoothies with milk. No need to add extra sugar because the fruit is already sweet.
● Using ripe mangoes as topping for pastries, cake or dessert such as Mango Pie and Mango Graham Cake
● Extracting ripe mango juice to make Mango Vine or Mango Vinegar.
● Eating ripe mangoes as a dessert or snack. (Limit to 1 slice of ripe mango for those with Diabetes)
● Adding the young mango leaves (Putat) into soup dishes such as Sinigang na Manok sa Mangga.
References:
Chavez, L.L., de Leon, S.Y., Claudio, V.S. (2006). Basic Foods for Filipinos, 4th ed. Manila: Merriam & Webster Bookstore, Inc.
DOST-FNRI. Food Exchange Lists for Meal Planning, 4th ed.
Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology (2018). Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes 2015.
Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology (1997). The Philippine Food Composition Tables of 1997.
GMA Public Affairs (2019). Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho: Mango Season is in! Youtube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bRWMZ10e0s
Maldonado-Celis, M. E., Yahia, E. M., Bedoya, R., Landázuri, P., Loango, N., Aguillón, J., ... & Guerrero Ospina, J. C. (2019). Chemical composition of mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit: Nutritional and phytochemical compounds. Frontiers in plant science, 10, 1073.
