McKel Hill Kooienga, MS, RDN, LDN
Founder of Nutrition Stripped and the Mindful Nutrition Method™
I want Nutrition Stripped to be a resource to help you feel empowered when making food choices, so I’m starting the NS Kitchen where I’ll break down the nutrition facts and health benefits of the most common whole food ingredients. Today I’m starting with my favorite cold weather citruses – grapefruit! Keep reading to nerd out with me about all of the nutrition goodness of these delicious fruits and ways you can use grapefruits in healthy recipes!
The 101
Grapefruits come in several varieties including red, white, and pink- all taste relatively similar in my opinion, slightly sweet and bitter. Grapefruits get special attention and are in the Nutrition Stripped Pantry because I always have them on hand for a quick snack or pre-workout. I love eating these in the morning, juicing them, or slicing on a salad for a boost in vitamin C.
HOW TO USE
Use as you would any other fresh fruit. I personally enjoy citrus fruits in salads, toppings on yogurt, oatmeal, porridge, or au naturale. Grapefruit juice is great in water or in sparkling water for a refreshing low calorie drink.
NUTRIENT BREAKDOWN OF GRAPEFRUIT
*per 100g, about half a grapefruit
- Fiber | 1/2 grapefruit contains 2g fiber
- Carbohydrates | 1/2 grapefruit contains 11g carbohydrates (7g sugar)
- Vitamin A | 23% DV
- Vitamin C | 52% DV
- Potassium
- Biotin
- Vitamin B1, B5
- Antioxidants | lycopene especially in the red and pink varieties, naringenin and naringin
- Phytonutrients | limonoids
- Small quantities of minerals | iron, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus
WHERE TO PURCHASE
Health food stores, grocery stores, or farmers markets
TIPS AND TRICKS
After using the flesh of the fruit for eating, squeeze out any remaining juice to use as a dressing, in a sauce, in Simply Infused Water, etc. for a boost of flavor and a bit of nutrition.
NOTE: some individuals who take prescription medications should be extra cautious when incorporating grapefruit into their diets. Grapefruit has a strong interaction with some of the most widely prescribed medications. Why? Grapefruit contains a compound called naringenin that inactivates cytochrome P450 3A4 (a fancy way of saying an enzyme in the small intestine that metabolizes some prescription drugs). This slows down the normal detoxification and metabolism in the liver and intestines, which makes it harder for the body to eliminate and breakdown the drug. Not only can grapefruit decrease the function of a drug, but it can also enhance making the drug more potent- both of these side effects are no good when you’re trying to regulate a medical condition with a prescription drug. Best advice is to do your research and ask your physician.
NS RECIPES WITH GRAPEFRUIT
Watermelon Grapefruit and Blackberry Salad with Honey Drizzle
What’s the word?
What nutrition information do you guys want to know more about? I love breaking it down for you guys, so share what you’d like to learn from Nutrition Stripped in the comments below! Or if you have a favorite way to eat grapefruit, share it in the comments, too!
xx McKel
Photos by Kelsey Cherry
p.s. Want to learn how to live a whole foods lifestyle do you can feel amazing? Sign up for 1-1 nutrition coaching with yours truly to learn how amazing your body is supposed to feel!
