Pineapple

The pineapple is a tropical multiple fruit, meaning that it is actually many fruits from many flowers clustered together. Pineapples are indigenous to South America, but much of their history is undocumented. These very sweet, fibrous fruits are an awesome addition to both sweet and savory dishes. When I feel like an easy sweet treat, I love my Pineapple and Lychee Granita.

Pineapples are a very unique fruit with just as unique of a nutritional profile. As you might suspect, the majority of the macronutrition in pineapples is carbohydrate (mostly sugar with some dietary fiber). Looking at micronutrients, pineapple features vitamin C (58% of your RDV!) and manganese (44% of your RDV) but also contains the B vitamins in smaller amounts and some trace minerals. Another unique feature of pineapple is bromelain, an incredibly potent mixture of proteolytic enzymes that aid in protein digestion when pineapple is consumed raw (this is also the reason why raw pineapple in marinade can make for an awesome tenderizer!).

Because pineapple is a tropical plant, chances are you won’t be finding it at your local farmers’ market. You can pick up fresh whole pineapple at your grocery store (or grab it freshly chopped, frozen, or dried!).