Short answer? Oranges aren’t just good for your immune system—they’re great. And they offer a number of other legitimate nutritional benefits, too. “Oranges are widely recognized as one of the top sources of vitamin C and offer 70-100 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C in one orange,” says Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN. “But they provide so much more than just a single vitamin. The whole fruit boasts great benefits that have a positive effect on our well-being.” And vitamin C is an important nutrient that is not naturally produced in the body and thus needs to be consumed daily to meet the recommended levels. Here’s why you should snack on an orange today.
Health Benefits of Oranges
RELATED: 7 Ways a Lemon Can Help You Clean Your Entire House A few simple cooking, shopping, and storage tips for eating them include:
Retain an orange’s vitamin C content by eating it raw. Vitamin C is water-soluble, so to retain as much as possible, eat citrus fresh or avoid overcooking and use minimal amounts of water. Pick heavy fruit. When shopping for citrus, choose fruit that smells fresh and feels heavy for its size—the heavier the orange, the juicer it is. Refrigerate them for longer shelf life. Keep citrus fresh longer—up to three weeks—by storing it in the refrigerator at a temperature below 42 degrees. To ensure you get the most juice out of the orange, bring citrus to room temperature before cooking with it. Explore their versatility. Oranges make a great addition to sweet and savory dishes, beverages, cocktails, sauces, and more. From squeezing juice and grating zest into a smoothie, combining diced navels with red onion, cilantro, and jalapeños for a zesty salsa, or using segments for a vibrant fall salad, fresh oranges can be easily added to a wide array of recipes for added nutritional value. Use the whole fruit. Numerous parts of citrus can be consumed, including the flesh, juice, zest, and peel, providing less food waste.
