More Reasons To Eat Fruit

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 20-ounce can pineapple, crushed, chunks or tidbits
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
24 maraschino cherries

18-19 ounce yellow cake mix (prepare batter as directed on box OR use these ingredients)
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled or vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- water*

Pineapple Orange Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 medium banana (peeled, sliced and frozen)
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (packed in juice)
1 8-ounce carton vanilla yogurt
1 cup orange juice
Orange wedges, if you like

Chicken Pineapple Wontons

This is a quick and delightful Asian-inspired appetizer!

Ingredients:
8 oz. ground raw chicken
1/2 cup canned crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
1/4 cup pineapple juice from canned pineapple
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
36 wonton wrappers

The Amazing Benefits of Pineapple

Pineapple has been used by many people for centuries as a folk remedy for numerous ailments, particularly digestive problems. Modern research has shown that bromelain, an enzyme found in both the stem and the fruit of a pineapple, may be where pineapple gets many of its health benefits. Pineapple contains substantial amounts of both vitamin C and manganese, so eating pineapple can help strengthen bones, relieve cold symptoms, aid digestion, and stop diarrhea.

A cup of fresh pineapple chunks contains 73% of the manganese the body needs for the day. Manganese, a trace mineral, is needed to build bone and connective tissues. A recent study found that a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and manganese offered significant improvement of symptoms for people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee.