Dragon Fruit Popsicle – Snack for Strong Immune System

Want to live a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing your cravings?

Does the thought of drinking bitter green smoothies discourage you from starting a healthy diet?

Want to boost your kid’s immune system while letting them enjoy a delicious afternoon snack?

You might want to check out Dragon Fruit Popsicles.

Dragon Fruit

Ancient Chinese legends say that the dragon fruit was created thousands of years ago by a dragon in battle who blew a burst of fire containing the fruit.

Dragon fruit comes from a cactus of the type Hylocereus. It’s a fast-growing crop, and the plants can produce for more than 20 years once established. Dragon fruit boasts several nutrients and vitamins for better health.

There are three types of Dragon Fruit:

• Hylocereus undatus or pitaya blanca pink/red skin, white flesh, and black seeds
• Hylocereus costaricensis or pitaya roja pink/red skin, red flesh, and black seeds
• Hylocereus megalanthus or pitaya amarilla yellow skin, white flesh, and black seeds

For Strong Immune System

The white blood cells in your immune system attack and destroy harmful substances. Even if your body already have these white blood cells a healthy diet is still necessary. Your diet is one of the major factor that determines your body’s ability to fight infections. White blood cells are extremely sensitive to damage by free radicals.

Dragon fruit is rich in Vitamin C and Carotenoids. As potent antioxidants, vitamin C and carotenoids can neutralize free radicals and defend your white blood cells against harm. The vitamin C and carotenoids in dragon fruit may boost your immune system and prevent infection by protecting your white blood cells. They offer immune-boosting properties.

Furthermore100 grams (g) of dragon fruit contains :

• 60 calories
• 2.9 g of fiber (11 percent daily value, or DV)
• 18 milligrams (mg) of calcium (1.8 percent DV)
• 59 international units (IU) of Vitamin A (1.18 percent DV)
• 40 mg of magnesium (10 percent DV)
• 2.5 mg of Vitamin C
• (4.16 percent DV)
• 0.74 mg of iron (4.1 percent DV)
• 1.18 g of protein (2.3 percent DV)

Other health benefits

Dragon fruit can improve your cardiovascular health and possibly help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. It can provide your body with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, eating the fruit may help reduce bad cholesterol level. Improving your cholesterol can help reduce plaque buildup in your arteries, which promotes healthy blood flow.

The dietary fiber in dragon fruit also can help promote healthy digestion and gut health and plays a role in cancer prevention. It can also lower blood sugar in diabetes and promote skin health.

Dragon Fruit Popsicle

Still not interested in adding dragon fruit in your diet plan? How about trying dragon fruit popsicles? This combination of rich health benefits and creamy dessert would definitely change your mind.

An ice pop is a liquid-based frozen snack on a stick. Unlike ice cream or sorbet, which are whipped while freezing to prevent ice crystal formation, an ice pop is “quiescently” frozen—frozen while at rest—and becomes a solid block of ice. This is also great for afternoon snack with kids.

At first, I was simply attracted by it’s reddish color and my curiosity was piqued even more after reading the label that states it was made from fresh dragon fruit with no preservatives added.

It tastes like a combination of kiwi and pears. This Dragon Fruit Popsicle I got from Pan de Manila is very creamy in a way that it compliments the taste of dragon fruit in every bite. This is definitely a guilt free snack to enjoy.

Where to buy?

I bought some bread at Pan de Manila the other day when their chiller caught my attention. They were selling frozen fruit popsicle with the following flavors:

• Avocado
• Buko
• DRAGON FRUIT
• Fruit Salad
• Langka
• Mais
• Mango
• Strawberry
• Choco Chips
• Cheesy Milk Bar
• Cookies & Cream
• Coffee
• Kasoy
• Milk Tea
• Salted Yema
• Ube
• Ube Quezo

For only 50 PHP each.

They also have:

• Frozen Blueberry Yogurt Popsicle – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 65 PHP
• Frozen Mango Yogurt Popsicle – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 65 PHP
• Frozen Strawberry Yogurt Popsicle – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 65 PHP
• Avocado Ice Cream w/ Graham – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -75 PHP
• Mango Ice Cream w/ Graham – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 75 PHP
• Strawberry Ice Cream w/ Graham – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 75 PHP
• Avocado Ice Cream in Pint – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 180 PHP
• Mango Ice Cream in Pint – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 180 PHP
• Quezo Ice Cream in Pint – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 180 PHP
• Ube Ice Cream in Pint – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 180 PHP
• Ube Quezo Ice Cream in Pint – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 180 PHP
• Blueberry Frozen Yogurt in Pint – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 230 PHP
• Mango Frozen Yogurt in Pint – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 230 PHP
• Strawberry Frozen Yogurt in Pint – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 230 PHP

*** Prices as of October 2021 ****
*** Prices taken from Pan de Manila –  The Persimmon Cebu  Branch ***