Oranges, Mandarin oranges and clementines start to ripen in October and can be picked until May. Thanks to cold storage facilities we can actually enjoy oranges all year round, but they are at their very best in winter when they reach optimum ripeness, making them sweeter and even more delicious.So, having orange juice for breakfast helps us get a great start to the day, giving us energy, preventing colds and strengthening our immune system, doesn’t it?Yes—and no.
Vitamin C is definitely important for a healthy immune system, but vitamin C supplements are unable to actually prevent or cure colds.
Citrus fruits are renowned for being rich in vitamin C, but do not have the highest vitamin C content of all foods. Broccoli contains twice as much vitamin C than an orange, while bell peppers have three times as much. Parsley has four times as much, though you would have to eat a large bunch to get the equivalent to an orange.
If you are more traditional and can’t imagine eating a broccoli floret for breakfast, you might think orange juice is your best option—but you would be wrong.
A whole orange (peeled) is much better. Freshly-squeezed orange juice, even when it’s natural, is still considered juice. And juice is a source of free sugar, the kind of sugar that the WHO recommends reducing in order to follow a healthy diet.
Of course, eating whole fruit is not always easy. That’s why you might like to use a little imagination and try to make it into different shapes, as encouragement. There are loads of ideas on the internet such as Mandarin oranges in the shape of trains, sheep or even books. Whether you choose an orange or a Mandarin orange, well that’s up to you.