They are my favorite fresh fruit: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries. Not only delicious, they are truly the superheroes in the fruit division: juicy & sweet, tasty, chock-a-block full of goodness and relatively low in sugar, unlike most other fruits.
Fresh berries represent summer at its best. When I was growing up we used to pick fresh wild blackberries in the forest which my mom would turn into home-made jam. When I was a bit older I used to earn some extra pocket money during the summer holidays picking strawberries at my friend’s uncle’s farm. And even now, every year during our annual summer vacation we make sure to stock up on fresh berries straight from the farm.
Although they are best had fresh and whole (in my opinion), berries lend themselves well for use in smoothies, desserts, breakfasts, salads and other dishes. Below are a few recipes from my website but first let me give you the lowdown on berries from a nutritional perspective:
- Berries are high in fiber and water and low in calories, making them a perfect fruit to eat when you are trying to lose weight. The fiber also helps in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure.
- They are rich in important vitamins and minerals
- They are very high in powerful anti-oxidants such as vitamin C, anthocyanins and quercetin. Anti-oxidants help our bodies fight the free radicals that can lead to illness. A diet rich in anti-oxidants also helps protect your health in general, reduce inflammation and is therefore beneficial for inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.
To make full use of the abundantly available berries right now, pop them in your mouth whenever you like and check out these recipes. They also make a perfect travel snack by the way!
