Add a mango to your diet for added vitamin power

Published 5:00 am Thursday, May 19, 2011

Mangoes should be at their peak starting this month. Sweet and juicy, the tropical fruit is an excellent source of vitamins A and C and is packed with fiber. You can peel and eat them just as they are (that’s my favorite way), add them to smoothies or build a salsa around them.

Registered dietitian Keri Gans, author of “The Small Change Diet,” says adding mangoes to the shopping list can help fruit lovers add variety. “People need to be a little more adventurous in their diets,” she says. “Otherwise, they get bored.” Gans suggests trading your customary banana for a mango, “at least for a little while.” She likes to use mango slices to sweeten her oatmeal or plain Greek yogurt.

A word of caution, though: With sweet fruits such as mango, portion control is key. “One half of a small mango is a serving size,” Gans says. “Even fruit has calories, and they have a way of adding up, even if they’re nutritious calories.”