Papaya

Papaya
The papaya (Carica Papaya) plant is actually a large herb rather than
a tree. It was first found in the tropical lowlands of Central and South
America. It’s believed that the Spanish and Portuguese sailors carried the
papaya to other tropical and subtropical countries.
Papayas are frequently found growing as cultivated garden plants and
also in cleared areas of abandoned farms. Two common varieties in the
Pacific are Solo and Dillingham. Solo, a small pear-shaped variety from
Hawaii, has sweet pink flesh. Dillingham has a large elongated fruit with
pink to orange flesh.
Papaya is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). While
stewing or baking papaya destroys some of the vitamin C, the use of lemon or
lime juice in recipes probably aids in its retention. One cup of fresh papaya
daily will more than supply the needed amount of vitamin C per person.
Ripe papaya is a nutritious breakfast or desert fruit. It’s often
combined with other fruits in salads. Fresh papaya pulp with cream or milk
makes a nutritious frozen desert. Green papaya may be cooked as a
vegetable, candied, or pickled.
One medium papaya (about 11/4 lbs.) yields about 1 cup of pulp, or
11/2 to 2 cups of cubes. One medium papaya contains 240 calories.
Estimated Nutritional Values
Amount/Serving % DV* Amount/Serving % DV*
Calories 55 kcal 3 % Carbohydrate 14 Gm 5 %
Total Fat 0 Gm 0 % Iron 0.1 Mg 1 %
Saturated Fat 0 Gm 0 % Calcium 34 Mg 3 %
Cholesterol 0 Mg 0 % Vitamin A 1410 IU 28 %
Sodium 4 Gm 0 % Vitamin C 86.5 Mg 144 %
Protein 1 Gm 2 %
*Percent daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Nutritional Values are based on 1 cup of papaya
Milk: 0 Veg: 0 Fruit: 2 Bread: 0 Meat: 0