Grateful for Grapefruit

by Sharon Quercioli

Grapefruits are a unique citrus fruit known for its sour and bitter flavor. While it is mostly known for being a light fruit eaten in the warmer months, we shouldn’t neglect this fruit when the weather turns. 

Did you know that grapefruits are good for you, too? The ruby red variety especially are high in antioxidants. It’s also high in nutrients and low in calories. Better yet, it is one of the lowest-calorie fruits. Fruits in general, can have a surprising number of calories because of the natural sugars they contain. Lucky for us, grapefruits are not one of them. 

Weight Loss and Appetite Control

In addition to antioxidants, grapefruits contain a decent amount of fiber and water. This is one of the reasons why some people like to have a grapefruit for breakfast. The fiber and water do a great job making you feel full. So having a grapefruit in addition to the rest of your balanced breakfast can really help make you feel full for longer.

Lowering Bad Cholesterol

Having a grapefruit a day can help lower your bad cholesterol (or your LDL) levels. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reported a study back in 2006 that concluded grapefruits could lower your LDL levels by 15.5% or less. 

Delicious Hydration

Grapefruits contain a lot of water. If you’re having difficulties adding enough water to your everyday diet, you might want to think about adding more fruits and vegetables into the routine. Grapefruit is one of the best examples. A half of a medium grapefruit contains about four ounces of water. That’s almost 90% of its total weight!

Not for Everyone

Unfortunately, grapefruits aren’t great for everyone. If you take certain medications, grapefruits might prevent your body from being able to break them down. So, talk with your doctor about having grapefruit on a regular basis if you’re on medication. 

Grapefruit Tea

This is a great way to add a bit of grapefruit to your fall and winter diet. Grapefruits are normally known as a summer fruit because that is when they are abundant. However, they are also light and refreshing, which is something else that is associated with summer. In the fall and winter months, when the weather gets colder, we are more inclined to lean toward warmer treats. Often, these are filled with sugar and flour: cookies, pie, cakes, etc. Even winter drinks are filled with sugar: hot cocoa, sugared coffee, etc. Teas are a great way to include fresh fruit into your diet without adding sugar and flour into your regular eating habits.

Thinks you’re going to need:

• 2 cups of fresh ruby red grapefruit (you can get this from two grapefruits)
• 3 tablespoons of honey
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 whole allspice berries

What you’re going to do with these ingredients:

• In a medium pot, put all these things together with a half of a cup of water. Over high heat, bring it all to a boil. 
• When it boils, turn off the heat, and take it off the burner. Strain all of it and discard the solids left behind. Serve it with a strip of grapefruit zest as garnish or add a grapefruit section to the edge of the glass as garnish.

Kale and Grapefruit Salad

This is a great salad to have as a side to chicken or as a light lunch on its own. The flavor is toned down by the avocado and the various textures from the kale, avocado, and grapefruit are super refreshing. 

What you’re going to need:

• 1 pink grapefruit
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 8 cups of kale, discard the ribs and stems
• 1 avocado, halved and pitted
• Some kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

What you’re going to do with these ingredients

• Slice the kale thin and set aside. Similarly slice the avocado into half inch wedges and set aside.
• Cut and peel the white pith from the grapefruit (and discard the pith). Release the fruit from the membranes, and put the fruit into a small bowl. Add the juices that you’ve accumulated on your cutting board to the bowl with the fruit. Wisk the juice with the oil, and add some salt and pepper. 
• Put the kale into a large bowl, and drizzle the dressing (oil and grapefruit juice) over the kale. Toss and massage it all to combine. Let it stand for a few minutes so the kale can wilt a bit. Massaging the kale is a key. Toss it some more, place the avocado slices over the salad.