Pineapple - your own little slice of Hawaii!

I love Pineapple!  It is one of the staples of my diet.  I eat it just about every single day.  However, buying already cut pineapple in the stores can get a little expensive with a tiny container costing you $5 and sometimes more.  However, a whole pineapple will usually yield a lot more than that container and cost you about $3.  

There are a ton of health benefits to pineapple too!

Health benefits of Pineapple fruit

• Fresh pineapple is storehouse of many health promoting compounds, minerals and vitamins that are essential for optimum health.
• The fruit is low in calories (provides only 50 cal per 100 g), contains no saturated fats or cholesterol; but rich source of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber like pectin.
• Pineapple fruit contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain that digests food by breaking down protein. Bromelain also has anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting and anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that consumption of pineapple regularly helps fight against arthritis, indigestion and worm infestation. - This is my fave part!  Worm infestation!  LOL!-C  
• Fresh ananas is an excellent source of antioxidant vitamin; vitamin C. It is required for the collagen synthesis in the body. Collagen is the main structural protein in the body required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body protect from scurvy; develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity) and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.
• It also contains good amount Vitamin A (provides 58 IU per 100 g) and beta-carotene levels. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties. Vitamin A is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes, skin and essential for vision. Studies have suggested that consumption of natural fruits rich in flavonoids helps body to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
• In addition, this fruit is rich in B-complex group of vitamins like folates, thiamin, pyridoxine, riboflavin and minerals like copper, manganese and potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids, helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is helpful cofactor for red blood cell synthesis. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger

Helping me with my pineapple addiction is this handy dandy little pineapple slicer and wedger!

 I found it at Bed Bath & Beyond for about $10 and then used one of those coupons.  Here is a breakdown on how easy it is to use this awesome item!

Meet My Pineapple!

I cut the top and bottom off of it!

This is my magic pineapple machine!

Center the middle right on top of the core
and start twisting!  It will work its way
down the whole fruit!

When you break through the bottom just
pull the whole thing back out!

This is what you are left with.  If you're  Martha you can
save this for fruit salad or sherbet of something like
that.  I'm not, so I usually dump it.  (If there is a lot of
fruit around the edge sometimes I'll trim it out with knife.)

Then you have a column of Pineapple in rings!  If you leave
the green slicer thingy on it you can just push down and
make chunks!  

Push the core out of the bottom of the slicer and toss it and
you have a plate full of beautiful rings!

This takes about 3 minutes start to finish!  I grilled one of the rings and put it on my grilled turkey burger with some guacamole!  

Start slicing!

-C