Blueberries: The Ultimate Superfood
Raise your hand if you put on a few extra pounds during quarantine. If your hand is up, then you are one of many people with the same experience. Nobody should feel embarrassed.
The pandemic has impacted many areas of our lifestyle, including diet, exercise, entertainment, and social activities. It is natural for us to slip when the activities that usually make us happy are no longer available. If you didn't raise your hand, that’s great, but keep reading because this article is still for you too.
Studies show that nutrition is one of, if not the most, important step in living a healthy lifestyle. We understand, it's hard to stay away from chocolate and cakes, but it is essential to be aware of your intake and opt for healthier alternatives. Blueberries are a great option if you’re looking for a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Blueberries are a superfood. What is a superfood, you wonder? Well. Superfoods are foods that are low in calories but very high in nutrients.
Often superfoods are jam-packed with vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. In this case, blueberries check all the boxes. These berries are so high in antioxidants they rank the highest among fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are good because they prevent damage to cells and slow the ageing process and prevent certain diseases.
Blueberries are also rich in nutrients. You can get a large portion of your daily recommended amounts of nutrients just from one cup. Fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Manganese are just a few of the primary nutrients you benefit from when eating blueberries.
Incorporating blueberries into your diet will, without a doubt, contribute to your overall health. As COVID-19 restrictions begin to loosen, it's about time we started feeling good about ourselves. The only question: How do we bring blueberries into our habits?
It might get boring to be eating a cup of blueberries every day by themselves. We want to enjoy eating healthy and not feel like it is a chore.
If you like blueberries or want to give them a try, you can rest assured that fresh blueberries are easy to add to a meal. You can add them to salads, muffins and other dishes. Here are a few meal inspirations that star the one and only (drum roll) Blueberry!
Grilled Chicken Salad with a Blueberry Vinaigrette
Grilled chicken is tasty and high protein. Include dark leafy vegetables with some juicy blueberries, and you have a showstopper.
This salad is refreshing and great for a quick summer lunch. To prepare this meal, simply toss the chicken in a bit of oil, add garlic and mix in your favourite seasonings. For the vinaigrette, add blueberry preserve, some oil or, balsamic vinegar. For the salad, pick a dark vegetable like spinach, a cup of blueberries, and you are ready to go!
Blueberry Smoothies
Smoothies are perfect for when you are on the go, but they are also great for a post-workout meal. Blueberry smoothies can easily be adapted to suit your tastes.
You can use fresh blueberries or frozen ones. If you choose to go the fresh route, remember to add half a cup of ice cubes to the blender.
Try making a mixed berry smoothie by adding strawberries and raspberries. You can also add yogurt and spinach for an extra punch. And for the liquid, add water, almond milk or a little orange juice.
Baked Goods
What you have to love about this superfood is that you can add it to almost anything. Any baked recipe you can think of can be made more tasty and nutritious by adding a cup or two of blueberries.
Do you like blueberry pancakes or blueberry muffins? Blueberry pie, blueberry cobbler, blueberry crisp, blueberry lemon curd, you can even make blueberry zucchini bread.
For more delicious blueberry recipes, check out Taste of Home’s list of 40 Recipes to Make with Fresh Blueberries.
The Town of East Gwillimbury has a great selection of weekly Farmers' Market to visit. Enjoy local fruit, vegetables, flowers, produce, baked goods and more. Take a look at our amenities map here to see all the fantastic places you can pick up fresh foods this summer.