Dear Readers, It’s the largest tree fruit in the world but that’s not what’s amazing about jackfruit. It is properly prepared, and the exotic tastes are similar to meat. No wonder the fruit is experiencing real hype in the vegetarian-vegan area. But you can find out from us why this is by no means the only advantage of the fruit and how you can best use the jackfruit.
Whether marinated and fried or to refine sweet dishes. the jackfruit is incredibly diverse and changeable. Above all, it is also one thing healthy. You can find out what jackfruit actually is in the following.
Worth knowing about the jackfruit
The jackfruit originally comes from southern India. In the meantime, however, the jackfruit tree is being cultivated in many other tropical countries in Southeast Asia from Sri Lanka to Thailand to Indonesia. Plantations with versatile exotic can also be found in Brazil.
Jackfruits are the largest tree fruits in the world and not only that – they also weigh quite a bit: With a length of up to 50 centimeters, the fruit can weigh a proud 35 kilograms. The jackfruit can be used both in the ripe and unripe state depending on the stage of ripeness, the fruit is prepared differently.
When the fruit is ripe, its yellow-orange flesh tastes intensely sweet, similar to a mango. However, jackfruit is hyped mainly because of its immature state properly prepared and seasoned, it is reminiscent of meat in terms of taste and consistency.
In Asia, ripe fruits are primarily consumed the unripe ones are usually intended for further processing for export. Incidentally, not only the pulp is edible, but also the seeds. They are ground into flour or pan-fried.
Jackfruit Nutrients
The taste and texture of the jackfruit are very reminiscent of meat but this does not apply to its nutrients. If you want to compare them, then best with the potato.
Because both of it has similarly high magnesium and potassium content. The jackfruit also scores with a relatively high vitamin C content, calcium, and beta-carotene. Also, jackfruit is popular because of its relatively high iron content interesting for vegetarians and vegans. 100 grams of fruit already cover 17 percent of the daily requirement.
Iron is found in particularly high amounts in real meat, so vegetarians need a good alternative source of this important mineral. Vitamin C also improves iron absorption in the human body.
Jackfruit Benefits
In addition to being a tasty alternative to meat, exotic fruits offer a number of other benefits. Because it is in contrast to animal foods, fruits have hardly any fat, but some nutrients. In the following, you will find out how you can continue to benefit from healthy exotics.
Supports weight loss
If you want or have to watch your figure because of a diet, you can reach for jackfruit without hesitation. With only 22 calories per 100 grams of fruit, the tropical exotics are literally negligible. The unripe fruits, which serve as a meat substitute, have hardly any sugar. A large part of their carbohydrates goes back to certain fibers that the human body excretes undigested.
So jackfruit can support a diet when used in dishes instead of meat. Meat usually has a very high-fat content, but jackfruit has almost no fat. Combine the exotic meat alternative with protein-rich foods to stay full for as long as possible and avoid cravings.
However, keep in mind that the low-calorie count only applies to unripe fruit. Ripe jackfruit has significantly more sugar. For processed products, you should take a look at the nutritional information before buying.
For healthy digestion
Dietary fiber is extremely important for healthy digestion supports a diet and is good for the heart. Jackfruit contains up to 10 grams of fiber in 100 grams of fruit that’s already a third of the recommended daily amount.
Fiber is indigestible for the body, yet it contributes to healthy digestion. In addition, they fill you up in the long term and keep the blood sugar level constant. Both in turn ensure that fewer food cravings occur, which can continue to favor a diet.
For the nerves
In addition to vitamins and fiber, jackfruit also provides minerals such as magnesium. This is fundamentally important for the healthy functioning of the nervous system.
But not only that, but this mineral is also essential for normal muscle and brain function. If your body suffers from a magnesium deficiency, this often manifests itself in stabbing headaches, Inner restlessness, and rapid irritability as well as increased muscle cramps.
Therefore, athletes in particular are dependent on an increased dose of the important mineral. A whole jackfruit can cover up to 30 percent of the recommended daily requirement and is therefore an excellent source of magnesium.
For the immune system
Jackfruit cannot compete with rose hips, acerola, and guava in terms of vitamin C content. But in contrast to other “meat alternatives” such as tofu, jackfruit is a real vitamin C bomb. Just 100 grams of exotic fruit can cover up to 20 percent of the recommended daily requirement of vitamin C.
Vitamin C is not only an important antioxidant that keeps the cells vital and ensures a beautiful, radiant complexion, and at the same time prevents premature skin aging. The essential vitamin is also an important fuel for a healthy, well-functioning immune system.
Especially in the cold season, you should protect yourself against colds and the like with fresh food and lots of vitamins – for example with the help of jackfruit. Furthermore, vitamin C improves the absorption of iron in the body both are contained in relatively high amounts in the exotic.
Disadvantages of Jackfruit
Unfortunately, as healthy as jackfruit is, eating it is not without its consequences. Since the fruit grows in a certain tropical latitude, it has to be transported a long way to end up in our supermarkets.
The carbon footprint of the jackfruit can be compared to that of avocados and coconuts. In addition, there are also disadvantages for the local population and fauna due to increased plantations and increased water consumption by the plants.
On the other hand, there is the meat industry, which is one of the biggest polluters in our world – the tropical fruit is far in its shadow. Therefore, you can use jackfruit from time to time as a meat substitute without much hesitation.
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