Friday, July 8, 2011

Berries, Berries Everywhere!

If there’s one food you should definitely be eating right now, it’s berries. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries are all plentiful this time of year and are the perfect fruit to add to your diet for many reasons:

They’re loaded with fiber - The insoluble fiber in strawberries and blueberries actually slows down digestion, keeping you feeling full longer, which can help with weight loss and keeping your blood sugar levels steady.

They’re low in calories - A full cup of berries has less than 100 calories so you can eat them to your heart’s content (within reason, of course!).

They’re a rich source of vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, K, folate and manganese and it’s much more fun getting your nutrients from something that tastes great!

They’re high in antioxidants - Blueberries in particular are ranked among one of the top antioxidant containing foods from phenols and the anthocyanins that give their skins the blue/red color. Studies have shown that the antioxidant power in blueberries have a positive impact on memory and that the levels of antioxidants are even higher in organic versus conventionally grown berries.

They have a low glycemic load - As mentioned above, helping to slow digestion is a benefit of eating berries. Blueberries, raspberries and blueberries all have a glycemic load of 5–anything with a value under 10 is considered low–meaning that they are beneficial for keeping your blood sugar steady.

They’re versatile - They can be added to fruit or vegetable salads, smoothies, deserts, drinks, sauces, salsas, jams and preserves, and eaten plain. There’s no end to what you can do with berries.

Here’s a recipe for raspberry scones that I made with fresh-picked raspberries last year!

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