So many of my fondest memories of growing up involve blueberries. Whether it was sitting around our kitchen table, diving our little hands into a seemingly endless bowl, licking cones of fresh blueberry ice cream, or picking them ourselves during hikes in Maine, blueberries will always remind me of childhood summers. For those of you who may not have such a strong history with blueberries, there are many reasons (besides nostalgia) to make them part of your summertime diet.
Here are some of the main reasons that we, at My Happy Plates, came up with:
- Anti-Aging Antioxidants: blueberries, especially wild blueberries, have a very high antioxidant capacity. Antioxidants are known to protect our bodies against oxidative stress and cell damage, making blueberries a great snack for anti-aging benefits.
- Small, but Mighty: Just a one cup serving of blueberries contains 4 grams of fiber, about 1/4 of your daily intake of Vitamin C and Manganese, and over 1/3 of your daily intake of Vitamin K. And all for only 85 calories!
- Versatility: although we adore blueberries on their own, they also make a great addition to sweet and savory dishes alike. We all know blueberries pair great with pancakes and pies, but a blueberry sauce is also a perfect compliment to poultry or beef.
- Color: how can we talk about blueberries without mentioning the deep purple hue that stains your fingers and brightens your plates? To us, that color symbolizes summer.
If you want to try one of our many recipes with blueberries, just click here and type blueberries into our search feature.
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