The nectarine is a fruit much loved for its health benefits and nutritional value. If you’ve been wondering about adding this fruit to your diet, take the following health information about this fruit into consideration. With nectarine calories low and vitamin content high, nectarines are the perfect healthy snack for your diet.

A Little about Nectarines
Many people think that peaches and nectarines are different fruits, but surprisingly, the nectarine is a cultivar group of peaches, meaning that nectarines are a “branch off” of the peach world. Nectarines are often called “shaven peaches” or “a peach with a plum’s skin” because the nectarine contains no fuzz. People often falsely assume that the nectarine is a cross between a peach and a plum, although nectarines are created due to a recessive gene in peaches. Often, nectarines grow from peach trees. These fruits are even similar in composition, with calories in nectarine fruit similar to the calories in peaches.

Nutrition Facts of the Nectarine
While you may enjoy the nectarine as a healthy summer snack, not many know exactly what goes into one single piece of this delicious fruit. The biggest question, perhaps, is how many calories are in a nectarine. In one medium nectarine, there are 62 total calories along with 15 grams of carbohydrates (only five percent of the amount suggested for daily consumption).  The low amount of calories nectarine fruit holds makes it a healthy snack. But how many calories in a nectarine isn’t the only great part of this fruit. One nectarine also contains three grams of fiber, making up ten percent of what your body needs in a day. The nectarine is also very low in saturated fats, contains no cholesterol, and no sodium.

Vitamins, Minerals, and Antioxidants
The nectarine is also jammed full of healthy vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that keep your body happy and healthy. One nectarine contains 1.5 grams of protein that help your musculature system. Nectarines are also high in Vitamin A and Vitamin C, holding around ten percent of your daily recommended value of both nutrients. The fruit of the nectarine contains the trace element potassium, which is often hard to obtain in a well balanced diet. There is also an ample supply of good stuff found in the skin of the nectarine. Bioflavonoids and carotenoids are found in the beautiful red-orange skin of the fruit. Both of these compounds help your body fight off cancer and prevent damage done by the burning of oxygen in your body. Many health tips include making smoothies out of nectarines, skin included, to add these nutrients to your diet.

Nectarines and Your Health
Jammed full of vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals, the nectarine is an extremely valuable addition to any diet or perfect for any snack. The low amount of nectarine calories also makes is a low-calorie snack that won’t hurt your waste line. Try using the nectarine in your smoothies, as a snack, or in a fruit salad to start reaping the health benefits they hold.