What's your favourite fruit? Are you partial to an easy peeler? Do you love the crunch of a juicy green apple? How about a sweet bowl of fresh English strawberries? Whatever your fruit preferences, it may be time to readjust your fruity priorities. Nutritionist Frida Harju recently went public to encourage us all to eat more of the world's ultimate fruit. If you've been keeping your eye on dietary and nutritional news over the past few years, chances are you already know which fruit she has been promoting. Know for its antioxidant properties and impressive health benefits, Harju's recommended number one fruit is...you guessed it – the blueberry!
What makes blueberries so great?
Absolutely crammed with antioxidants and polyphenols which give this humble small blue fruit its anti-inflammatory properties, blueberries are great for a huge array of things. From providing a great source of vitamins K and C, fibre, manganese and anythcyanins, many people believe that blueberries can help prevent heart disease and lower your risk of developing some cancers. On a slightly smaller scale, blueberries are thought by many to help improve our memories (a number of studies have been conducted on animals which show some memory benefits). Others believe that these small blue berries can even help to generally improve your mood. Is it any wonder, then, that nutritionists have once again named the blueberry as the ultimate fruit?
Are you eating enough blueberries to reap the many potential benefits? If your diet isn't quite as “berryful” as it should be, these helpful tips will help you get more blueberries into your belly!
1. Add them to your breakfastFrom blueberry pancakes, to yoghurt and granola with blueberries on top, this fruit is delicious at breakfast time and sure to give you a healthy start to the day.
2. Make a blueberry smoothieThere are tonnes of delicious and healthy smoothie recipes out there which are perfect for incorporating more blueberries into your diet. We especially love:
- Blueberry & Avocado Brain-Boosting Smoothie
- Blueberry & Kale Protein Smoothie
- Blueberry Muffin Smoothie
- Blueberry & Mango Smoothie
3. Ask your workplace to provide fruitMany employers now offer free, fresh fruit in the office as standard – offer via fruit delivery services like Fruitful Office. Once businesses understand the benefits of fruit, from more engaged staff to fewer sick days, they are often happy to invest in some fresh snacks. This will help you switch crisps from the vending machine for fresh fruit – including yummy blueberries – from the office fruit bowl.
4. Cook up some sweet treatsIf you've done plenty of exercise this week and eaten healthily, indulging in something on the naughtier side won't hurt – especially if your treat of choice is full of health-boosting blueberries. From blueberry pies, to crumbles, tarts and fools, there are tonnes of scrumptious puddings out there for you to try which really make the most of this healthy fruit. If you're watching the calories, there are also lots of low fat versions of these treats to be found online, or you could mix yourself up a beautiful fruit salad!
Do you have any great blueberry recipes of your own? Share them with other readers below.
