Excerpt from: "The Healing Foods: The Ultimate Authority on the Creative Power of Nutrition"

PAPAYA

Temptation, Tropical-Style

119 calories per papaya

We're not alone in our view that nutrition has become far too complicated. Nor are we the only ones who have attempted to simplify it. One of the approaches that has intrigued us is the concept of "nutrient density. " It's a way of measuring bang for the buck: How much nutrition does a food deliver for each calorie that it provides When a food's content of essential nutrients is weighed alongside its calorie count, the results are often unexpected. For fruits, the most nutrient dense proved to be not the orange or the legendary apple, but rather the cantaloupe and the papaya! Specifically, papaya stands out with a vitamin A level that exceeds the Recommended Dietary Allowance by 30 percent, plus enough vitamin C to meet a full day's allowance three times-all in one piece of this luscious fruit.

Not impressed yet? Consider the extremely high potassium content as well as the ample fiber that the papaya provides. Now we're sure you agree that even though expensive, papayas give you your money's worth. At the Market: Ripe papayas are green with overtones of yellow and creamy orange. They will yield to gentle pressure and should be well shaped, reminding you of a large pear. The stem end should smell softly sweet, not acrid or harsh. (334)