Hello Papaya!

We’re spoilt rotten in this part of the world with our access to beautiful, fresh tropical fruits, and I find that sometimes that means that we take them for granted. Papayas are sweet and summery and endlessly pretty, and pretty hard not to love, but there’s so much more to them than that. (Besides, for me, a hundred happy breakfast memories of scooping them greedily out of their skins with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of brown sugar.)

First up, you should know that Christopher Columbus called them the ‘fruit of the gods’ because they tasted so sweet and delicious – pretty cool hey? But what makes them really special, are the high levels of papain (an enzyme that breaks down protein, which makes it an excellent meat tenderiser and also makes proteins that we eat easier to digest); and the fact that they’re high in antioxidants (basically, toxin-fighters), fiber and high levels of Vitamin A and C. Some research suggests that Papaya have anti-cancer fighting properties, and are good for heart health as well as IBS relief and digestion issues.

Here are a few of our favourite ways to eat more Papapa
– Papapa Breakfast Boats, as shown: Halve your papaya and fill with Greek yoghurt or coconut cream, and top with your favourite mix of berries, seeds, nuts, chia seeds, coconut flakes and any other extra fruit that you have on hand. I also like to add a small handful of chopped fresh mint or basil, and a squeeze of lime juice.
– Papaya and Mint Smoothies: blitz together 1 cup papaya, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint, 1 Tbsp lime juice, small handful mixed seeds, small handful raw nuts, 2 tsp hemp seed powder and loosen with up to 1 cup water or coconut water if necessary. Then, turn any leftovers into LOLLIES. My girls love these, and they’re such a simple way of getting more goodness into your little ones.
– Papaya Puddings: add 2 Tbsp chia seeds to the above smoothie mix and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The chia seeds set the pudding to a sweet fruit jelly and it’s delicious and refreshing.

Sources: Authority Nutrition; Nutrition Stripped.
Photo Credit: Curtis Gallon