About Kiwi

Kiwi is native to China and cultivation in New Zealand didn’t start until the 20th century.  The term “Kiwi” in New Zealand refers to the Kiwi bird or to the people of New Zealand, but not to the fruit (the people of New Zealand always refer to it as “kiwifruit”).  There are ~60 varieties of Kiwi and it’s grown in many countries throughout the world, but the most kiwi producing nations are Italy, New Zealand, Chile, and Greece.

Nutrition Benefits of Kiwi

Kiwi is rich in vitamin C and vitamin K.  It’s also a good source of fiber and vitamin E.  There are a lot of phytonutrients in kiwi – including flavonoids and caotenoids.  Vitamin K is known for helping with blood clotting and Vitamin C is known for immune system benefits.

Kiwi seeds are also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which has been linked to benefits related to heart disease, ADHD, autism, and other developmental problems.  Other health related links to kiwi include asthma and irritable bowel syndrome.

Smoothie Tips

You can freeze kiwi.  Here’s how – cut the kiwi in half, use a spoon to remove the outer skin, freeze the halves.  Since Kiwi is rarely sold frozen, you can do this yourself so you always have kiwi on hand.