7 Types of Nature's Candy You Can Try

Written by Simone Maglassis, CPT, ACSM, ACE
​https://linktr.ee/simonesfitfunlife

Halloween is going to be different this year.

So why not actually do something different too?

Candy is nothing new, but have you tried these types of nature’s candy?

I don’t know about you, but I love trying different fruits!

There’s so many out there besides the boring typical banana and apples.

This year try some different fruits instead. You can even make a day out of it and take the kids with you to pick out new unique fruits at the grocery store or farmer’s market.

Of course, fruits still have a lot of sugar, natural or not, but at least you’ll actually be getting nutrients rather than just sugar, artificial flavours and food colouring.

Because let’s be honest, you’ll get far more health benefits from consuming fruit than eating candy.

Here’s some to try (along with just some of the many benefits)*:

Tamarinds

These are my favourite!

I grew up with these in my Caribbean household.

They originate from Africa but is also grown in India and other tropical countries around the world.

I have to say it, but to me they look like poop! But they taste anything but. They are so sweet and a little tangy and have hard seeds inside it’s flesh that you can easily eat around and spit out.

Health benefits:

• an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
• lowers blood sugar
• ​weight loss benefits
• used in multiple forms of medical treatment
• high in magnesium, potassium, iron and more

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Cherimoya 

Also known as a custard apple.

The flesh is soft and sweet "certain parts of cherimoya contain toxins that may damage your nervous system if consumed in high amounts" ( ,). Do NOT eat the skin peel.
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Health benefits:

• high in antioxidants (are you seeing a trend here?)
• some studies have shown a positive effect on eyesight and vision
• ​fights against damaging free radicals
• can be used as a food source to treat depression

Photo by Nikolai Chernichenko on Unsplash

Dragon Fruit 

Isn't this so pretty?

It's easy to cut and eat and has the texture of a watermelon and cucumber and is light tasting and not as sweet as you'd expect.

It has been studied on the glycemic control of pre diabetes and type 2 diabetes but more research is needed.

Health benefits:​

• an antioxidant which has cancer fighting ingredients as well as probiotics
• low in sugar, high in carbs, fiber, iron and more​
• good for gut health
• "a valuable ingredient in foods and may also be useful in cosmetic, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical applications" (Kim, 2010)​

Canary Melon

This to me is like a slightly watered down honeydew melon. Still delicious and had what seemed like more water content.

I could definitely see myself adding this to a smoothie with some greens.

Health benefits:

• ​high vitamin A content
• ​high in fiber
• low in calories high in water content
• helps with high blood pressure and diabetes

Green Large Guava

This is not the guava I’m used to. The ones I’ve had before tend to be small so I was eager to give this a try since there’s so many different ones out there.

To me this tastes like a sweet and crisp apple with an undertone of guava. An unlike an apple, you can eat the whole thing. Skin, rind and all.

Health benefits:

• may help reduce gingivitus if consumed before oral hygiene
• may help to reduce tumours (more studies needed)
• helps with a range of health issues such as diarrhea, stomach pain, indigestion, UTIs, liver problems, menstrual pain and many more but often times the leaves are listed as a form of treatment

Tamarillo

When I dug into the fruit with the spoon I reached the rind which was quite bitter, but overall the taste of this fruit was interesting! I couldn't put my finger on it because the fact that it tasted like a sweet tomato of some sort. Which explains why it's called a tree tomato. 

Health Benefits:

• ​a range of B vitamins include B6, B1 & B2
• may help to keep type 2 diabetes under control 
  
• helps control and regulare blood pressure
  
• may aid in weight loss
  

Prickly Pear 

Native to Latin America it looks like how it sounds but luckily not as prickly. Go ahead and eat the skin if you'd like. I found the overall taste to be mushy and sweet with a crunch because of the seeds.

Benefits:

• helps with hangovers (more studies are needed) but try this next time you're hung over!
• rich in antioxidants
• satiates hunger

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There's also passion fruit, durian (the stinky fruit!) and so much more.

The beautiful thing is that you'll sugar craving will be satisfied, you'll feel so much more full after consuming some of these fruits as a lot of them have a high water content and lots of fiber.

Have you tried any of these fruits? Which was your favourite?



*Do your own research and before trying anything new, check to see if there's any interactions with current medications you’re taking and the negative side effects of the food you plan to consume. If you're unsure, talk to your doctor.

References:

Amaliya, Amaliya et al. “Effect of guava and vitamin C supplementation on experimental gingivitis: A randomized clinical trial.” Journal of clinical periodontology vol. 45,8 (2018): 959-967. doi:10.1111/jcpe.12922

Daswani, Poonam G et al. “Psidium guajava: A Single Plant for Multiple Health Problems of Rural Indian Population.” Pharmacognosy reviews vol. 11,22 (2017): 167-174. doi:10.4103/phrev.phrev_17_17
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Jennings, K., 2020. What Is Tamarind? A Tropical Fruit With Health Benefits. [online] Healthline. Available at: [Accessed 9 October 2020].

​Kim, HyoenJi et al. “Comparative antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of red and white pitayas and their correlation with flavonoid and polyphenol content.” Journal of food science vol. 76,1 (2011): C38-45. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01908.x

​Poolsup, Nalinee et al. “Effect of dragon fruit on glycemic control in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” PloS one vol. 12,9 e0184577. 8 Sep. 2017, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0184577