Who loves mangos? Donda loves mangos! Is it true? I do, I do, I do, I doooooooo!

Me and Sheri in Costa Rica. I’m loving on some mango.

It’s summer, and there’s no better time to go mad for mangos. Mangos, and fruit in general, reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer.  It’s also a low calorie sweet snack that can help you maintain or reduce your weight.  It’s a rich source of Vitamin A and beta-carotene which, when combined, can be good for your vision, (an added bonus for a glasses wearer like myself).

Since I love mangos, I decided to dedicate this week’s Three for Friday to the delectable, succulent fruit.  If you’re wondering what happened to the other two for Friday, click here. Here are my three favorite ways to enjoy a mango:

1) Raw-Duh. Don’t mess with perfection. If you’re a mango picking novice like myself, go for a mango that doesn’t have any bruises, is firm to the touch and has a fruity smell. If you end up with an unripe mango, store it in a brown paper bag. Patience is a virtue my friend and mango is worth the wait.

Ripe for the picking!

2) Mango Salsa (tweaked but based of off A Pinch of Yum)

• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
• the juice of 1 small lime
• 1 avocado (the original recipe said it was optional but adding avocado is never optional!)
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• 2 ripe mangos peeled and diced
• kosher salt to taste

3) Mango-Pineapple Smoothie (serves 2)

Nomtastical

• 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen pineapple
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed fresh or frozen mango
• 4 scoops of whey protein powder (I use herbalife)
• 2 cups of water (you can use milk for a creamier consistency)
• a handful of ice

Throw it all in a blender and BOOM! Your tastebuds will experience the tropics (wanna get fancy? add half a banana).

Now, wipe the drool off your keyboard and let me know how you enjoy your mango

These lovely photos were taken by our very own Sheri