The clementine, with its sing-song name and honey-sweet taste, is a small citrus fruit that first came to the United States in 1982, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Smaller than your average orange, clementines are often mistaken for tangerines; however, the clementine's easy-to-peel skin and distinctive flavor sets it apart. Like other citrus fruits, the clementine's claim to fame is its high vitamin C content.
Clementine History
The clementine is the smallest fruit in the mandarin orange family, according to the USDA. Clementines are grown in sunny regions, such as North Africa, Morocco, Spain, Chile and South Africa. In the United States, they're grown in parts of California and Florida. Because each region has a different growing season, clementines are available in your supermarket almost all year round.
Nutrition Basics
Depending on the size of your clementine, it can have between roughly 35 and 50 calories. According to Sun Pacific, a California citrus grower, two clementines have 80 calories, only 5 of which come from fat. Two clementines contain 17 g of carbohydrates, or 6 percent of your Daily Value, or DV, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Of the carbohydrates, 4 g come from fiber, giving you 14 percent of your DV. The remaining 13 g come from the fruit's natural sugar.
Essential Nutrients
According to the USDA, clementines are a good source of vitamins and minerals. Two clementines give you 290 percent of your DV for vitamin C, 15 percent of your DV for folate, 11 percent of your DV for potassium and 10 percent of your DV for niacin and thiamine. Clementines also give you 6 percent or less of your DV for vitamins A and B6, calcium, iron, phosphorus, copper, mangesium and pantothenic acid.
Other Nutrition Facts
Clementines are low or absent all of the nutrients you don't need. Two clementines have only 0.5 g of total fat, no dietary cholesterol and no sodium.
Clementines and Diet
Clementines are seedless and have a thick, puffy skin, making them easy to peel. Two clementines make up one serving of fruit. The USDA Food Guide Pyramid advises you to eat between two and four servings of fruit each day to maintain a healthy diet.
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