Eat a Honeybell Orange for Your Health
What exactly is a delicacy? With regard to food, the dictionary tells us that it is a pleasing or appealing food. More often than not, however, a delicacy is a rare or exotic food that is seldom good for us. Caviar and pât? are fairly common food delicacies that are often served at fancy cocktail or dinner parties. Both are high in fat, calories, and cholesterol. This is true of most foods we refer to as delicacies with the exception of the Honeybell Orange.
As one of the rarest and most sought after citrus fruits, the Honeybell is most assuredly a delicacy for fruit lovers in America. The famous tangelo, a cross between a Dancy tangerine and a Duncan grapefruit, has the shortest harvest period of any fruit on record. It can only be picked and shipped during the last two weeks of January. The Honeybell orange is also grown almost exclusively along the Indian River in Florida. Because it considered an extremely high maintenance fruit, most orchards in the Sunshine State refuse to plant it.
Nutrition
As we mentioned earlier, the Honeybell fruit is not actually an orange, it’s a tangelo, which means that it is half orange (a tangerine is a variety of Mandarin orange) and half grapefruit. Because it is about the size of an average grapefruit, the Honeybell orange is actually better for you than an orange, simply because there is more of it.
Like the average orange, the Honeybell provides copious amounts of Vitamin C. A single serving has 130 percent of the recommended daily dosage of the essential nutrient. Vitamin C is necessary to sustain life. Not only does it encourage collagen production, but it also works as a powerful antioxidant in the body.
An antioxidant is a helpful little molecule that protects us from inimical free radicals, which have been proven to damage healthy cell tissue. There is mounting evidence that suggests that free radicals may actually be responsible for deadly cellular diseases, like cancer. Some medical professionals even go so far as to claim that antioxidants can help people fight the signs of aging.
Citrus fruits are also a good source of fiber, and the Honeybell orange is no exception. One serving of the tasty tangelo has 7 grams of dietary fiber, which is nearly one third of what humans need each day. Unfortunately, only about one third of Americans eat enough fiber on a daily basis. Why is it important?
Dietary fiber has been shown to improve digestive health by encouraging healthy bowel movements. Studies have also suggested that it may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, like prostrate and colon cancer. Fiber is also heart healthy, which is why doctors commonly prescribe high fiber diets to patients who suffer from heart disease.
Taste the Sunshine with Hale Groves
At Hale Groves, we believe the best gifts come from the land, not a factory. For generations, our fruit has been grown slowly under the Florida sun, picked at its peak, and delivered fresh to your door. From sweet Navel Oranges to rare Honeybells, every gift shares the simple joy of real flavor—perfect for holidays, milestones, or everyday moments worth celebrating.
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