Go Crazy with Kiwi and Eat Healthy

 Summertime is the perfect time to eat healthy. There is a lot of fresh fruit to choose from this time of year so why not make the change from junk food to good food? Kiwis are delicious and fun to eat – here are some tips for the whole family on how to add some fruity fun to your meals along with some Kiwi recipes from the Zespri Kiwifruit.

·        Use different peeled and sliced fruit to make a funny “happy face” on top of cereal. Kiwifruit make fun “eyes.” 

·        Eat salads. Try adding sweet fruits to your vegetables and  salads.  Kiwifruit and green apples go well in salad while grapes or raisins work wonders in cooked carrots or stir-fries.

·        Top vanilla yogurt with a selection of fresh fruit, including kiwifruit, and granola for a special breakfast, treat or dessert.

·        Make fruit kabobs. Peel and slice a kiwifruit into several rounds. Slide them onto a plastic straw spaced between a variety of fruits (strawberry slices, pineapple wedges and/or grapes) to make a kid-friendly snack kabob.

·        Make a fruity breakfast shake by blending kiwifruit slices with vanilla yogurt, strawberries, a banana, and a splash of vanilla syrup. Great for on the go breakfast!

·        Make a kiwifruit popsicle by peeling one to three ripe kiwifruit, insert a popsicle stick in each and place them in the freezer until they harden (one to two hours). Remove and enjoy nibbling the green ball to cool off or as a special party treat.

·        Cut up nutritious veggies and fill a bowl to the brim. You will be surprised how fast your friends eat it up.

·        Make pancake batter the night before; then drizzle the batter in simple shapes to make a mouse with ears or a bear. Add raisins or nuts for eyes to add to the breakfast fun. Serve with fruit and yogurt instead of syrup.

·        Eat fruit as a snack instead of chips. Cut up apples into slices and pluck red and green seedless grapes off stems, and mix them up in a bowl. Slice orange rounds and unwind the peel into a strip of orange wedges you can nibble one by one.

·        Dip it! Serve fruits with dips, such as kiwifruit with plain yogurt mixed with honey or pears with peanut butter.

·        Make eating the first fruit of the season a special treat: celebrate ZESPRI New Zealand Kiwifruit and the first local strawberries in June, the first blueberries or raspberries in July and figs in August

Green and Gold Pancakes

What you will need

Pancakes:

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 (three fourth) cup milk

1 tablespoon

oil for frying

TOPPING

3-4 each: ZESPRI™ GREEN and GOLD Kiwifruit

4-5 tablespoons maple syrup

finely grated rind of 1 lemon or orange, optional

To make the pancakes, sift the flour into a bowl and add the sugar. Combine the eggs, milk and oil and add to the dry ingredients. Pour into a jug. ADULT SUPERVISION: Heat a small, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add a knob of butter and swirl to coat the base and sides of the pan. Pour about a ¼ cup of the batter into the pan and swirl to cover the base. Cook until golden, about 1 minute each side. Remove from the pan and repeat, until all the mixture is used.

 Makes about 12.

To prepare the topping, peel and cut the GREEN and GOLD Kiwifruit in thick chunks or wedges. Pile in the center of the pancakes and top with maple syrup and citrus rind. Excellent served with yogurt or whipped cream.

Serves 6

Muscle Maker

4 ZESPRI™ GOLD Kiwifruit

½ (one half)  cup  each: orange juice, yogurt

2-3 teaspoons maple syrup, optional

What to do

Peel the ZESPRI™ GOLD Kiwifruit and slice into a food processor or blender. Add the orange juice and yoghurt. Process, until just puréed. Sweeten with maple syrup if desired. Pour into two glasses and serve. 

Serves 2.

Kiwi Tacos

2 taco shells

1 large lettuce leaf, shredded

½ (one half) cup  grated cheese

1 tomato, sliced

2 ZESPRI™ GREEN or GOLD Kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

2 sprigs parsley

What to do:

Heat the taco shells in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 3-4 minutes, until crisp.  Fill with shredded lettuce, cheese, tomato and ZESPRI™ GREEN or GOLD Kiwifruit. Garnish with parsley.