Lifestyle | Food of the month: Pineapples

Deirdre, our Health and Wellness officer, educates the GetSmarter team about the chosen food of the month.

This month we’ll have a look at the goodness in the juicy and delicious sub-tropical fruit called a Pineapple. Let’s start at the beginning and tell you a little more about how this one-of-a-kind fruit was first discovered by Europeans.



When Christopher Columbus made his second voyage to the Caribbean in 1493, he and his crew ate the unusual fruit they found there. They thought the fruit looked like a pine cone, so they named it the "Pine of the Indies."

When they introduced it to the English later on, they added the word "apple" because they thought it should be associated with another delicious fruit that people enjoyed. And thus, the name "pineapple" was born.



Today the pineapple is widely eaten across the world and not only is it one of the most mouth-watering of fruits, it also has immense health benefits hidden underneath its tasty exterior.

Pineapples contain Vitamins A and C, but most importantly, they are a great source of an enzyme called Bromelain. Bromelain helps the body's digestive system and it has anti-inflammatory properties as well.

It has been used to treat a number of medical problems, including heart disease, arthritis and upper respiratory infections.

When taken with antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs, Bromelain has been found to increase the actions of these drugs.

This remarkable enzyme is found in all types of pineapples.

Here is a scrumptious recipe to help you make the most of the great health benefits of pineapples.



Chicken & Pineapple salad



Ingredients

    •    2 single free range chicken breast fillets
    •    Salt & freshly ground pepper
    •    1 tbsp oil
    •    1/4 pineapple, peeled, cut into thin 3cm pieces
    •    2 celery stalks, cut into thin diagonal slices
    •    2 tbsp egg mayonnaise
    •    1 butter lettuce, leaves separated, washed

    •    1/4 cup (30g) roughly chopped walnuts, toasted


Cut the chicken fillets in half lengthways. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until golden brown and cooked through.

Transfer to a plate to cool slightly, then cut into thin slices.
Combine the pineapple, celery, chicken and egg mayonnaise. Serve the salad in the lettuce leaves topped with walnuts.

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution license.