Exotic Tropical Fruit Of The Week: Chayote

CHAYOTE BRITISH AND AMERICAN PRONONCIATION: CLICK HERE

Chayote belongs to the same family as squash, melons and cucumbers and the plant is native to Mexico, where it grows abundantly. The fruit can be eaten raw and is used in salads, although most of the time it is cooked in soups or stews. Any way you eat it, you will love it.

One chayote gourd offers vitamin C (10.2 milligrams), vitamin E (.2 milligrams), vitamin K (5.4 micrograms), and vitamin B6 (.1 milligrams). It is also a great source of niacin (.6 milligrams), folate (123 micrograms), and choline (12.1 milligrams).

Chayote is also mineral and fiber-rich, providing calcium (22.4 milligrams), iron (.4 milligrams), magnesium (15.8 milligrams), phosphorous (23.8 milligrams), potassium (165 milligrams), and sodium (2.6 milligrams), as well as trace amounts of zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium.