An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but there are only so many apples one person can eat. To keep healthy without getting fed up with the same old fruit, try varying your diet with tropical and even new hybrid fruits.
Many grocery stores, such as Whole Foods Market, 3313 University Ave., and Kohl's Food Centers, sprinkle their produce sections with unusual fruits such as the ones listed below. Cool down these first few weeks of class with some fresh fruit!
Native to Turkey, the little-known casaba melon is a member of the well-known muskmelon family. In the United States, casabas are grown in California, and the best and most plentifully crops are available from September to November.
True to its family ties to the cantaloupe and muskmelon, casaba melon tastes like a combination of its two cousins, but with a fresh trace of cucumber in it. It has a denser texture, giving it a creamy consistency while still being juicy and refreshing.
To get the best-quality casaba, look for a large melon that is firm but a little soft at the stem end. The skin should be very yellow with as little green as possible. Watch out for dark blemishes on the skin as well.
Casaba offers great taste and lots of vitamins, too. It only has 26 calories per 3.5 ounce serving but a whole 30 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, as well as essential potassium.
With all of its health benefits, casaba melon is a tasty treat that will also keep those pesky head colds away around midterm time.
Kiwanos are some of the most interesting fruits to look at and to eat. With bright yellow and orange skin and tiny horns jutting out all around the fruit, kiwanos look as interesting as they taste.
The flesh of kiwanos is bright green and jellyish, and covers many seeds similar to those of watermelons. The taste borders on banana, but spiked with citrus and melon. This tropical, exotic taste is worth eating around the many seeds.
Ripe kiwanos are yellow to orange with firm skin. Be sure to not refrigerate kiwanos; it is a tropical fruit, and cold will spoil its flesh. Though some stores carry the fruits year-round, the best fruits are available from late February to June.
Kiwanos, a low-calorie food with only 24 calories per 3.5 ounces, are best eaten raw. Cut the melon lengthwise and scoop the flesh out of the inedible shell. Sometimes the fruit can be a little sour, so add a little sugar to sweeten it up.
\Pluot"" is a trademark name for the hybrid of plum and apricot, created by Zaiger Genetics of Modesto, Calif. From the outside, Pluots look like a plum, but the inside offers a new take on an old fruit.
The skin of the Pluot is tart, but mixes well with the sweet flesh. The flesh is by far more flavorful than a regular plum, and the combination of the two fruits is obvious. Fresh and juicy like a plum, but with the strong sweetness of an apricot, the Pluot makes for a delicious treat.
Pluots also offer a bevy of health benefits, such as high levels of vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium. They taste best washed in cool water, but can also be used in salads or baked goods.
When picking out Pluots, be sure to avoid fruits that have soft spots or green skin. The best quality Pluots are plump and firm, with an even color.
Easy to grab and eat on the run, Pluots are the perfect snack while you're running around campus.
Sliced starfruits are not only pretty, but tasty and healthy as well. With its yellow flesh and star-like shape, starfruits are used in plenty of gourmet dishes, but you don't need to go gourmet to enjoy all the benefits of these fruits.
The flesh of starfruit is juicy and mildly citrusy, reminiscent of a kiwi, but with a crisper, crunchier texture. The fruit also has a slightly dry taste, like a good wine.??
Low in calories (24 calories per 100 grams) but high in beta carotene and vitamin C, starfruit is another food that will keep you healthy and happy.
