Mango: Delicious, Nutritious, Amazing No Matter How You Cut It
Happy Mango Day!
The Mango is native to India and Southeast Asia. There are hundreds of types of mangoes, each with their own characteristic color, shape, size, and even taste.
A Bit of Mango History
According to several sources, the mango was first cultivated more than 4,000 years ago in India. Mango is a stone fruit that grows on a tropical tree called the Mangifera indica. The tree can grow up to 150 feet tall and can have an extremely long life span. Mangos, growing from the tree’s flowers, can take four to five months to fully ripen and, before this, they are green and hard. There are more than 500 varieties in the world.
Mango was first grown in India and it has a special significance for this country. The Buddha was depicted sitting near a huge mango tree and the Mughal emperor, Babur, decided to conquer India after he tasted a particularly delicious mango. It was the Mughal empire that went on to create and cultivate the many famous mango varieties. The mangoes were so beloved to the empire that one of the emperors, Shah Jahan Zafar, had his son punished after learning that he had reserved and eaten all the mangoes in the palace. As time went by, mangoes traveled from India to other countries of the world. In South Asia, mangoes are so valued that they are considered the national fruit of Pakistan and India, and the national tree of Bangladesh. A basket of mangoes is also considered a gesture of friendship in the region. [cite]
Nutritional Value of a Mango
These delicious fruit are also impressively nutritious! One cup of mango has:
- Calories: 99
- Protein 1.4g
- Carbs: 24.7g
- Fat: .6g
- Fiber 2.6g
- Sugar 22.5g
- Vitamin C: 67% of the DV
- Copper: 20% of the DV
- Folate: 18% of the DV
- Vit B6: 12% of the DV
- Vit A: 10% of the DV
- Vit E: 10% of the DV
- Vit K: 6% of the DV
- Niacin: 7% of the DV
- Potassium: 6% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 5% of the DV
- Magnesium: 4% of the DV
- Thiamine: 4% of the DV
These amazing fruits are nutritious and delicious! That’s why I love using them in smoothies!
Tropical Mango Smoothie Recipe:

Ingredients:
- 3 oz each frozen mango, pineapple, and papaya
- 1 banana
- 2 scoops protein powder (I use vanilla flavored whey powder)
- 3/4c each orange juice and vanilla almond milk
Throw it all in the blender and blend on high. Pour into a cup and enjoy!
I hope that I’ve convinced you to try mango in a smoothie. And if you already love mango as much as I do, eat some today! After all, its Mango Day!