If broccoli is one of people’s least favorite vegetable, blueberries are fruits most people enjoy. The tangy taste of the blueberry and the multiple health related benefits are two of the reasons people love them so much. They are also quite versatile, which only adds to the popularity.
5 simple ways to enjoy blueberries
As is – Blueberries are delicious eaten out of hand, or you can add a few to your morning oatmeal.
Juice them up – A mix of blueberry, blackberry, raspberry and orange juice to start your morning off right.
Smoothie Blast – Fresh or frozen blueberries with plain Greek yogurt, pure vanilla extract and one fully ripe banana for a sweet, creamy, nutrient-loaded breakfast or liquid snack.
Pancakes topper – Or you can add the blueberries to the pancake mix for a fruity option and serve with homemade blueberry syrup.
Cheesy dessert – Add fresh blueberries to cream cheese or ricotta cheese, sweetened with honey and sprinkled with your favorite nuts.
Nutritional Facts
A cup of blueberries (about 150 grams) contains:
– 84 calories
– vitamin K 32%
– Manganese 25%
– Vitamin C 19%
– Fiber 14%
– Copper 9% of the Daily Recommended Value)
Benefits of eating blueberries
A whole new level of tasty breakfasts, desserts or drinks isn’t all that blueberries bring to the table. These frosty-white hue colored fruits are packed with antioxidants, flavonoids, and fiber, all of which promote good health and do the body good.
- The antioxidants in blueberries help fight disease and prevent various age-related health issues. Antioxidants fight free radicals in the body and can prevent heart disease, diabetes, cancer and unhealthy aging.
- The dietary fiber in blueberries promotes healthy digestion, and it is especially when fruits are eaten raw with their seeds and skin that fiber is richest in blueberries.
- The manganese in blueberries helps strengthen the bones, form connective tissue in the body and promote fertility.
- Low in calories and basically fat-free, blueberries enhance daily nutrition and give the stomach a full feeling.
- The vitamin C in blueberries supports the adequate development of the body and prevents diseases.
- Blueberries are an important source of vitamin K that has been shown to treat osteoporosis and prevent cancer and heart disease.
- Blueberries promote brain health and improve memory through antioxidants’ interaction with aging neurons.
Interesting facts to know about blueberries
- They are best eaten at room temperature.
- They make the skin smooth and elastic.
- They thrive on hot days, cool nights and clear skies.
- They are native to the Native American diet and have been around for more than 13,000 years.
- They were first cultivated in America about 100 years ago.
- Blueberry season runs from April to September.
- In 1974, July became National Blueberry month.
- In 1981, Jelly Belly Blueberry flavor was created for the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan.
- A portrait of Ronald Reagan made of 10,000 Jelly Belly beans hangs in Simi Valley, California, in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.