Get Ready for National Kiwifruit Day

The kiwi is a delicious fruit that has grown in popularity in the U.S. in recent years. Can you believe this wonderful fruit gets its own national day of recognition? I was surprised, too, but it’s true! December 21st — this Sunday — is National Kiwifruit Day.

Kiwis were originally known as Chinese gooseberries until 1959 when they were renamed the kiwifruit by New Zealand growers who started exporting them to the U.S. Consumption of kiwis in the States has continued to increase since the 1980s. I grew up eating kiwis and these have and always will be my favorite fruit. When I was younger, my friends all thought I was strange to eat such a unique-looking fruit, but I knew one day they would all know what I already knew … the kiwifruit is delicious! 

Kiwis are also known for being a nutritional standout. A serving is two medium-sized fruit, but even just one provides a lot of good nutrients. One kiwi has just more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin C needs. This is perfect in wintertime to help keep your immune system strong. Each fruit has two grams of fiber — lots of it in the skin, which by the way is edible and loaded with nutrients. Many people have no idea the skin is edible — go ahead and give it a try the next time you are enjoying a kiwi.

I know many people think of kiwis as a summertime or tropical fruit. The good news is that they can be enjoyed year-round. And with National Kiwifruit Day taking place just before Christmas, here is a recipe to help you include kiwi in your holiday treats. This is kid-friendly and can easily work as a festive healthy treat for the holidays. 


Holiday Kiwi Grahams

Recipe developed by Melinda Boyd, MPH, MHR, RD

Serves 4; two squares per serving

Ingredients
8 graham cracker squares (honey or chocolate)
6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
2 kiwi fruits, peeled and diced
1-2 ounces dried cranberries

Directions

  1. Top each graham cracker square with Greek yogurt followed by kiwi and cranberries. It’s that easy!
Melinda Boyd on Twitter
Melinda Boyd
Melinda Boyd, MPH, MHR, RD, is a registered dietitian and military spouse living in Japan. She is co-author of Train Your Brain to Get Thin, and blogs at Nutrition, Food, Travel & More. Follow her on Twitter.


OvenMitt