![\"Sliced](\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/What-Is-Jackfruit-and-How-to-Eat-It.inpost.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nYou may have seen a new meat substitute alongside vegetarian proteins like\u00a0tempeh, tofu, and seitan: jackfruit. (Yes, you read that right: meat. substitute.)<\/p>\n
Jackfruit is\u00a0a weird-looking but delicious fruit\u00a0that\u2019s popping up on store shelves and restaurant menus alike. Fans say it\u2019s the perfect swap for pulled pork, shredded chicken, and even beef brisket.<\/p>\n
It has a mild flavor that melds well with a variety of seasonings, and it\u2019s stringy (in a good way) so it shreds easily. New to jackfruit? Get the scoop on this tasty faux meat.<\/p>\n
Jackfruit is a tropical fruit that\u2019s fairly new to the US, sharing a family with the fig, breadfruit, and mulberry. Each jackfruit is massive, so if you spot one at the grocery store, it\u2019d be hard to overlook. They start out at 10 pounds but can grow to 100 pounds each! (Don\u2019t worry \u2014 you can also buy it in more manageable portions.)<\/p>\n
Where does jackfruit grow? These giant fruit \u2014 they\u2019re the largest tree fruit in the world \u2014 are native to South and Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
Jackfruit recipes can be found in Indian, Thai, and Balinese cuisine, and jackfruit happens to be\u00a0the national fruit of Bangladesh.\u00a0Ripe jackfruit is consumed as a meal\u00a0or side dish in places like Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n
The fruit has a thick, spiky skin that starts out green and then turns yellow with darker spots. Jackfruit won\u2019t have much of a scent when it\u2019s green, but it smells sweet, musky, and fruity when it\u2019s ripe.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was living in Bali, I would enjoy sweet, ripe jackfruit as a treat with my breakfast,\u201d says Krista Maguire, R.D. Green jackfruit, which is the type used as a meat swap, has a taste and texture similar to artichoke hearts.<\/p>\n
It depends, because the flavor evolves as the fruit ripens. \u201cIt\u2019s somewhat similar in texture and flavor to a mango and a pineapple (or peach, depending on the one you get),\u201d says Haynes. \u201cYoung jackfruit is more savory, yet \u2018tasteless,\u2019 and can be shredded, seasoned, and cooked to mimic meats.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the young, green jackfruit is what\u2019s hot right now, you can also find ripe whole jackfruit or cans of it packed in syrup at Asian markets.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
While jackfruit is popular as a meat stand-in, it doesn\u2019t contain much protein \u2014 so that\u2019s not one of the benefits of jackfruit. Each\u00a0\u00bd cup of jackfruit pieces\u00a0contains 72 calories, 1.3 grams of protein, 18 grams of carbs, and 0.5 grams of fat. \u201cIt also contains calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, and potassium,\u201d says Haynes.<\/p>\n
Though jackfruit has been touted for its ability to \u201cfeed the world,\u201d you don\u2019t have to make this a new staple in your healthy diet. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say jackfruit is a\u00a0superfood\u00a0that should be included in one\u2019s diet to boost your health,\u201d says Haynes.<\/p>\n
But she says that if you\u2019re craving comfort food and miss pulled pork (either while following a\u00a0plant-based diet\u00a0or while avoiding higher-fat meats), \u201cby all means, this is a great option taste- and texture-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haynes adds one caveat: \u201cDon\u2019t be fooled into thinking that it\u2019s high in protein simply because of the food it\u2019s replacing.\u201d<\/p>\n
As with\u00a0portobello mushrooms\u00a0or\u00a0spaghetti squash sliders, jackfruit is \u201cnot a burger, and thus isn\u2019t an exact macronutrient equivalent,\u201d says Haynes. \u201cWhile it may have a meaty texture, it\u2019s actually a fruit like the name implies \u2014 and thus is higher in carbs and low in protein and fat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause jackfruit doesn\u2019t have as much protein as meat, I like serving it with plant-based protein sources like beans, lentils, tofu, or tempeh,\u201d says Stephanie McKercher, M.S., R.D.N. For example, she serves jackfruit with barbecue sauce and black beans in a roasted squash \u201cbowl.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another benefit of jackfruit? \u201cIt\u2019s naturally high in fiber,\u201d says McKercher.<\/p>\n
Note: If you\u2019re following Portion Fix, a serving of plain green jackfruit is \u00bd cup (or 4 ounces) and would count as one purple container.<\/p>\n
Ready to learn how to eat jackfruit? You have two options: Eat it raw and on its own, or cook it in a dish. (Just be sure to remove the seeds!)<\/p>\n
If you\u2019d like to enjoy the fruit raw, look for fresh jackfruit that\u2019s ripe. If you\u2019re planning to use it in a dish, find a whole, unripe jackfruit and prep it yourself (we\u2019ll teach you how), or buy a can or package of plain green jackfruit in brine (a much easier option).<\/p>\n
Though you can find jackfruit that\u2019s pre-seasoned, \u201cbe mindful of the added sugar and salt,\u201d cautions Haynes.<\/p>\n
Since jackfruit is not as high in fat and protein as pulled pork, your jackfruit pulled pork recipe won\u2019t keep you as full as the real deal, so you will want to include other foods that provide those macronutrients.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re new to cooking jackfruit, try this\u00a0healthy barbecue sauce recipe, and serve it with avocado or another healthy fat to boost satiety and mouth feel.<\/p>\n
Add a layer of flavor by pan-frying your jackfruit in a nonstick skillet before adding sauce. To get some color on your jackfruit, pat it dry before adding to a hot pan with a small amount of oil (optional).<\/p>\n
Here are some other jackfruit recipes and meal ideas:<\/p>\n
Note: If you\u2019re using jackfruit in any Portion Fix-approved recipe, adjust the container calculations based on your swaps.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Jackfruit is not just for vegans and vegetarians. If you\u2019re not looking to adopt a plant-based diet, try one of these jackfruit tips for meat eaters.<\/p>\n
\u201cTry mixing pulled pork and jackfruit together to add more fiber and phytonutrients to your regular meat-based barbecue dish,\u201d suggests McKercher. \u201cOr try jackfruit as a delicious meat substitute for\u00a0Meatless Mondays!\u201d<\/p>\n
Haynes thinks it\u2019s a great idea to add more fruits and veggies into your diet and cut back on high-fat meat consumption. \u201cReplacing one or several meat-based meals per week has been shown to improve one\u2019s health,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
For example,\u00a0the Mediterranean diet, which is considered one of the healthiest in the world, doesn\u2019t include much meat. You could also integrate jackfruit into a\u00a0flexitarian diet.<\/p>\n
\u201cJackfruit can be included as part of a healthy diet rich in other fruits and veggies and plant-based proteins and healthy fats,\u201d adds Haynes.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve decided to tackle a whole jackfruit by yourself, you\u2019ll want to plan ahead. Learning how to prep jackfruit can be somewhat tricky, so we\u2019re sharing a step-by-step guide:<\/p>\n
Jackfruit is a delicious vegan swap for pulled pork and other shredded meats. In Portion Fix, it counts a fruit portion. Jackfruit is higher in carbs and lower in protein than the meat it may be replacing in a recipe, so pair it with a vegetarian protein like\u00a0pulses.<\/p>\n
The taste and texture may not completely fool meat eaters, but they can benefit from adding shredded young jackfruit to dishes as a way to eat less meat.<\/p>\n
The easiest way to eat green jackfruit is to buy it canned or packaged, but you can also process whole jackfruits, too.<\/p>\n
![\"What](\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/What-Is-Jackfruit-and-How-to-Eat-It.PIN_.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You may have seen a new meat substitute alongside vegetarian proteins like\u00a0tempeh, tofu, and seitan: jackfruit. (Yes, you read that right: meat. substitute.) Jackfruit is\u00a0a weird-looking but delicious fruit\u00a0that\u2019s popping up on store shelves and restaurant menus alike. Fans say it\u2019s the perfect swap for pulled pork, shredded chicken, and even beef brisket. It has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3254,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fitness"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3253","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3253"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3255,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3253\/revisions\/3255"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}