My Market Kitchen episode 9: Morning mood booster
Publication date: 13 August 2020
Article
Watch the episode, meet the grower, get the recipe, check out the nutritional facts, and discover research projects relating to pineapples and other featured produce
In episode 9 of My Market Kitchen, Hort Innovation’s Research and Development Manager, Dietitian and Nutritionist Jemma O’Hanlon stops by Prahran markets to blitz up a morning mood booster smoothie packed full of nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. We also pay a visit to Queensland grower, Gavin Scurr to hear all about how he grows pineapples.
Recipe: Morning mood booster
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 ice cubes
2 cups Australian watermelon
1 cup Australian pineapple
1 Australian orange
2 Australian carrots
1 tsp fresh Australian ginger
¼ cup coconut water
1 tbsp fresh Australian mint leaves
METHOD
- Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth
- Serve in a glass with some extra fruit speared on a toothpick and a sprig of mint
Tip: When in season, add 2 Australian lychees to the blender and substitute 1 cup of Australian watermelon with 6 Australian cherries (seeds removed). You can also add ½ cup yoghurt to add a boost of calcium for strong bones.
Nutritional facts
- Watermelon is a good source of vitamin A and lycopene which has skin health benefits and can reduce the risk of prostate cancer
- Just 1 orange provides twice your daily intake of vitamin C and half the daily intake for folate. So they’re great for women of childbearing age or pregnant. They also have a low GI, so they provide long-lasting energy
- Pineapples are high in vitamin C to help support immunity, wound healing and fighting infection
- The bromelain in pineapples may help reduce inflammation and speed up recovery from damage caused to muscles during exercise
- High in fibre, pineapples keep your gut healthy and happy.
Meet the grower from this episode
Gavin Scurr – Sunshine Coast, QLD
Gavin Scurr is a Queensland fruit farming professional known for his commitment to product quality and horticultural innovation. Gavin along with his brother Stephen have positioned Piñata Farms as one of Australia’s leading fresh fruit producers, with wholly-owned farms operating from growing regions in two states. Other members of the family work in the business, carrying on the Piñata legacy.
Gavin’s proudest achievements include expanding pineapple production to Mareeba in 1996 and identifying the Honey Gold mango variety as suitable for commercialisation.
Investing in the future of the pineapple industry
Hort Innovation invests levy contributions from the pineapple industry, together with Australian Government contributions in the case of R&D, into Hort Innovation Pineapple Fund initiatives to improve and grow the industries.
You can read about these investments in R&D at the Pineapple Fund grower pages.