Mango Nutrition

Mango Nutrition. The supercharged superfruit. Nutritious and delicious, the mango delivers on all levels. In addition to their juicy tropical flavor, mangos deliver nutritional value and make healthy eating a joyful and nostalgic experience.

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults (ages 19 to 59) consume 1.5 to 2.5 cups of fruit every day (based on a daily consumption of 1600 to 3000 total calories). That’s where mangos come in! The versatile mango is available year round and adds delicious flavor to a balanced diet.

Mangos pack a nutritional punch.

• A mango serving size is equivalent to 3/4 cup of sliced mangos and is just 70 calories, so it’s a satisfyingly sweet treat.
• There are 202 calories in 1 whole mango (without refuse and 336g).
• Each serving of mango is fat free, sodium free and cholesterol free.
• Mangos contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals, helping to make them a superfood.
• 3/4 cup of mango provides 50% of your daily vitamin C, 8% of your daily Vitamin A and 8% of your daily vitamin B6. These nutrients in mango may help support your body’s immune system. Learn more.
• One serving (3/4 cup) of mango contains 7% of your daily fiber. It’s a delicious and fun way to get some fiber in your diet.
• 3/4 cup of mango is also a good source of folate, making up 15% of your daily requirement and also of copper, making up 15% of your daily needs.
• There are 19g of carbohydrates in a 3/4 cup serving of mango, making up 7% of your daily value. Give your body a delicious and super fun super fruit!

Mango Nutrition Facts Label

Nutrition Facts

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrituion advice.

Nutrient Content Claims:

• Excellent source of vitamin C
• Good source of folate
• Good source of copper

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2016. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28. USDA #09176 Mangos, raw.

The ABC of Mangos in Supporting Immune Function

Do you know that mangos contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals, helping to make them a superfood? Some nutrients in mango may help support your body’s immune system.

Add Mangos to Your Diet to Help Support a Healthy Immune System

In addition to their amazing fruity flavor, mangos contain several key nutrients which may help your body’s natural immune system to work properly. These include important micronutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C. Just one 3/4 cup serving of tasty mango provides 8% of your daily Vitamin A, 8% of your daily vitamin B6, and 50% of your daily vitamin C!

Vitamin A in Mango

One ¾ cup serving of mango contains 67mcg RAE of Vitamin A, which is 8% of the daily requirements of Vitamin A for a typical adult diet.

In addition to its crucial role in vision and skin health, Vitamin A plays a critical role in enhancing immune function and reproductive health.

Vitamin B6 in Mango

One ¾ cup serving of mango contains 0.147mcg of Vitamin B6 , which is 8% of the daily requirements of Vitamin B6 for a typical adult diet.

Vitamin B6 plays an important role in brain development and it is also involved in supporting immune function. Vitamin B6 improves the immune response by helping your body to make antibodies(which

Vitamin B6 also helps the body maintain normal blood sugar levels. helps the body make hemoglobin, which carries the oxygen in red blood cells to tissues throughout the body and helps to maintain normal nerve function.

Vitamin C in Mango

One ¾ cup serving of mango contains 45mg of Vitamin C, which is 50% of the daily requirement of vitamin C  for a typical adult diet. Double up on your servings of mango and you’ll be covered for Vitamin C for the entire day!

It is well known that Vitamin C plays an important role in boosting immune function. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect body tissues from damage and helps keep the immune system strong.

Vitamin C has many additional important health functions. Vitamin C supports healthy cognitive and neurologic function. It is required for collagen formation and it increases the absorption of non-heme iron or the form of iron present in plant-based foods. Vitamin C is also important for wound healing and keeping gums and teeth healthy.

Three Essential Micronutrients in Mango – A, B6, C

Vitamin A, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C are essential micronutrients. This means that your bodies cannot manufacture them and therefore they have to be included in the food and drink you consume. You should be able to get all the vitamin A, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.

Adding mango to your daily regimen, whether in meals, in drinks (such as smoothies) or as healthy snacks, helps to get your required amount of these three key nutrients which help support a strong immune system.

5 Benefits of Mango for Kids

Registered dietitian nutritionists, Alexandra Caspero and Whitney English, founders of the Plant-Based Juniors community, partnered with the National Mango Board to share more about mango for kids of all ages and serve up a delicious and nutritious recipe that kids will love.

Mangos are a great fruit to introduce to kids, including your new eaters. Here are some reasons to feed mango as a first food and ideas for serving it to older kids, including a recipe for mango chia pudding.

You may have noticed that mango has become a popular flavor of baby and toddler foods, like pouches and snacks.

Part of the reason for this is probably obvious – mango is delicious, and many babies and kids really enjoy the taste! Plus, mango is a healthy fruit that offers a number of benefits to growing babies.

5 Benefits of Mango for Kids

Here are some reasons why mango makes such a great first food for babies and kids of all ages:

1. They’re full of important vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C – an essential nutrient for immune health.
   Just a 3/4 cup of sliced mango offers the following nutrients:
   • 50% of the Daily Value (DV)* for vitamin C, and important nutrient for immunity and skin health
   • 15% of the DV for copper, a mineral needed for collagen production
   • 15% of the DV for folate, a B vitamin crucial to immunity and genetic processes like DNA formation
   • 8% of the DV for vitamin A, necessary for skin and eye health
   • 8% of the DV for vitamin B6, needed for brain health, immunity, and metabolism
   • 2 grams of fiber, important for digestive health* children 4 years and older 
2. They offer colorful phytonutrients.The deep bright colors of mangos are a cue of the phytonutrients inside, such as:
   • Carotenoids like beta carotene and lutein, which give mangos their yellow coloring
   • Anthocyanins, which contribute the red hue of certain varieties of mango
   • Other bioactive compounds, like mangiferin, flavonoids, gallotannins, gallic acid, and egallic acid
3. They’re the perfect texture for new eaters.Babies need soft, juicy textures that are easy to chew with few (or no) teeth. First foods for babies should not only be an age-appropriate texture and consistency, but also be manageable for new eaters to hold on their own. Mangos can be cut into thin strips that are easier for your baby to pick up and bite.The consistency of mangos is great for teething babes too, especially if you keep them cool in the fridge so they’re extra soothing for sore gums.
4. They work well as a quick snack for older kidsMangos are a great snack on their own or incorporated into other snacks or meals.It’s easy to prepare mangos in advance, cutting cubes or strips that can be stored in the refrigerator for quick grabbing or on a middle shelf for older kids to grab on their own. They can also be added to oatmeal, yogurt or smoothies for a bright flavor and nutrition punch.
5. They’re easy to find and come in a variety of forms.Mangos are the #1 most consumed fruit in the world, and are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. And great news for mango lovers: they are available fresh year-round thanks to a variety of growing seasons! So it’s always mango season.Many stores also have mango chunks in the frozen fruit section. We love thawing frozen mango chunks to give to our kids for an easy, refreshing snack.

How to Introduce Mango to Your Baby

As we all learn when we become parents, your baby may not take to a new food right away. It may take several introductions, and in a few different forms, for your baby to try a food like mango and decide whether she likes it. And remember, you should always consult with your pediatrician before introducing your baby to any new foods.

Some of our favorite ways to incorporate mango into a baby’s diet include:

• Thin slices of the raw fruit, so baby can pick it up using his/her pincer grasp
• Raw mango, mashed or pureed with bananas
• Mango pudding (recipe below!)
• Mango coconut cream popsicles or strawberry mango popsicles (without added sweetener for babies)
• In a chia jam, using mango as the primary fruit. See our recipe for this below!

Ideas for Feeding Mango to Kids of All Ages

Of course, the same nutrition qualities that make mango a great pick for babies are the same that make it a nutritious pick for kids of all ages.

Our favorite ways to prepare mango for older kids include:

• Raw diced mango, either on its own or mixed into a bowl of cereal or yogurt. Alex’s son Vander loves a big bowl of mango and coconut yogurt— it’s his most requested snack option!
• A Mango Pico de Gallo with lentil or black bean tacos
• Mango Berry Popsicles
• Mango-Wrapped Banana Bites
• A Mango Berry Smoothie for simple snacking

How to Cut a Mango

Here’s some step-by-step instructions for getting the most out of your mango!

Step 1: The rough seed of a mango is the large, flat center of the fruit. To cut a mango, first slice the mango all the way down, starting close to the stem at the top.

Step 2: Do the same on the other side of the stem. This will leave you with two semi-circle pieces of mango.

Step 3: From there, you can carefully slice each semi-circle piece of mango into cubes with a knife (be careful not to slice through the skin and cut your hand!).

Step 4: To remove the mango cubes from the skin, take a large spoon to detach the fruit by scooping it out.

Step 5: Enjoy!

Mango Chia Pudding

Mango Chia Pudding! This vegan, gluten-free and no sugar added snack is perfect for kids of all ages, including toddlers and baby-led weaning.

• 1 (14 ounce can) coconut milk, light or regular
• 2 cups chopped mango, divided
• 1/4 cup chia seeds

Instructions:

1. Place the coconut milk and 1/2 cup mango in the base of a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Place in a medium bowl or large mason jar and add in the chia seeds. Stir together, then place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
3. Remove, then mix again and place back in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight in the fridge to gel.
4. To serve, layer the remaining chopped mango with chia pudding.

Is Mango Safe During Pregnancy?

Moms-to-be hear all the time what they should and shouldn’t be eating. So, you might ask yourself, “Is mango safe during pregnancy?” Yes! According to the FDA, mangos and fruits are safe to eat while you’re pregnant. Of course, you should always consult your doctor around which foods you should and shouldn’t eat throughout your pregnancy.

There are plenty of foods to avoid, while you’re pregnant though. According to Foodsafety.gov, you might want to reconsider eating raw cookie dough, raw fish, and other foods that are especially susceptible to bacteria, but fruits and veggies are safe to eat throughout your pregnancy.