Summer is the perfect time to enjoy all the fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables available to you locally. Berries, some of summer’s delicious in-season fruits, are the healthiest you can eat due to their plant pigments called anthocyanins. These pigments are responsible for the deep blue, red and purple hues of your favorite berries.
In addition to their color, berries are a top source of vitamins, minerals and disease-fighting nutrients that can reduce the risk of age-related conditions. Berries average 10 times more antioxidants than other fruits and vegetables. They are full of potassium, magnesium, vitamins C and K and fiber. They are low in calories, low in natural sugars and contain prebiotics — carbohydrates that help nourish healthy gut bacteria.
Studies show that eating blueberries and strawberries is good for your heart and over time reduces the risk of heart attack. Eating blueberries three times a week may lower your risk of Type 2 diabetes, lower your blood pressure and help you manage your weight. What’s more, berries are powerful foods for learning and memory and may delay cognitive aging by several years.
Locally grown berries are the freshest, so look for them in your grocery store or farmer’s market. To keep berries fresh, store them in your refrigerator in a covered glass container, and don’t rinse them until you are ready to eat them. Strawberries can stay fresh longer if you line the container with paper towels and remove the stems.
In-season berries are less expensive than out-of-season berries, and you can easily freeze them for year-round use. To do this, spread the berries on a cookie sheet or a baking tray and put them in the freezer until each individual fruit is frozen. Place the frozen berries in a Ziploc bag or another container, and store the bag or container in the freezer until you are ready to eat them.
Try one of the recipes below to enjoy the many benefits of berries!
- Baked Berry Crisp
- Berry-beet Salad
- Blueberry Oatmeal Cakes
- Lemon-berry Ricotta Toast
- Triple Berry Quinoa Breakfast Bake
by Caitlin Kemmerer
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