Superfood Spotlight: The Benefits of Berries

Superfood Spotlight: The Benefits of Berries

Berries are one of the healthiest superfoods you can eat! Loaded with health-boosting nutrients, they're a delicious treat that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. While different berries contain different vitamins and minerals, nearly all berries offer an incredible nutritional makeup that is sure to have a positive impact on your health. Curious to learn more about the health benefits of berries? Keep reading to discover how you can incorporate this superfood into your diet.

Berries Are Rich in Antioxidants

Berries are the fruit of summer! Found in ice cream, pies, cobblers and parfaits, berries are full of healthy antioxidants that can help your body fight off disease. Aside from spices, berries have the highest antioxidant content per serving compared to any other food! Eating a diet that's rich in antioxidants has several health benefits. If you're looking for a way to boost your antioxidant intake, sneak more berries into your diet by adding them to your favorite smoothie.

Use Berries in Your Smoothie for an Antioxidant Boost

Do you love consuming healthy smoothies regularly? After reading this article, berries are sure to become one of your favorite smoothie ingredients. Packed with heart-healthy antioxidants, creating a smoothie full of berries is an easy way to make a healthy meal when you're in a bit of a time crunch. Theyre full of antioxidants such as anthocyanins, ellagic acid and resveratrol. Meals that contain berries can help keep your body running at top speed.

Reasons to Make a Berry Smoothie:

Great for a Pre/Post Workout Meal

Berry smoothies are a great way to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to shine during athletic performance. Whether you choose to add a protein booster like our Vanilla Protein Powder Nutritional Booster, or pack your smoothie with essential veggies, indulging in a smoothie before or after partaking in physical activity will help keep your body healthy and strong. Superfood Spotlight: The Benefits of Berries | Bob's Red Mill Blog Curious about the benefits of strawberries? Aside from an abundance of antioxidants, indulging in a post-workout strawberry smoothie will also provide you with healthy amounts of vitamin C, manganese and folate! Make this Strawberry Sunshine Booster antioxidant-rich smoothie after your next workout!

Kids Love Them!

Smoothies aren't just for adults; kids love them too! Getting your kids to eat a healthy fruit like berries is not always an easy task. Luckily, most kids love sweet, creamy treats and a smoothie can be just that. With healthy ingredients like antioxidant-rich berries and natural sweeteners like honey, a smoothie can be a terrific way to get kids to eat (and love) more wholesome foods. The next time you're making a berry smoothie for your kids, try getting them involved. By teaching your children how to make healthy, tasty smoothies, you can also educate them on what makes up a healthy diet. This will help them realize just how delicious healthy foods can be. Plus, they may even begin to make healthy decisions when the blender isn't around! For a kid-approved berry smoothie, try making this Berry Peachy Booster.

Berries Can Help You Add More Vitamins and Nutrients to Your Diet

Reaching your nutrition goals can be hard, especially if you're on a time crunch. Berries are a healthy treat that you can easily take with you. This means that you no longer have to compromise your nutrition to save time. Pack this sweet fruit with you for an on-the-go snack that you can always reach for. Incorporating a nutrient-dense snack like berries into your diet will make it easier to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs to reach your health goals. Superfood Spotlight: The Benefits of Berries | Bob's Red Mill Blog If you're craving a snack with a little bit more substance, try making a berry smoothie bowl like this Chocolate Berry Breakfast Bowl. Aside from being eaten out of a bowl, the main difference in a smoothie and a smoothie bowl is that smoothie bowls are often thicker. The thicker consistency makes it easier to eat with a spoon. And, since they are in a bowl, you can add delicious toppings like fresh fruits, nuts and even coconut flakes without worrying about these ingredients getting stuck in your straw.

Berries Are High in Fiber

Berries are a great source of fiberincluding soluble fiber! Adding more fiber to your diet is not only great for you, but it can also help keep you fuller longer. Raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are amongst those with the highest fiber. So, how can you use these fiber-rich fruits and sneak this healthy nutrient into your diet? Use berries to make homemade jam!

Benefits of Homemade Berry Jam

Its All Natural

When you make homemade berry jam, you get to decide which ingredients (and berries) are used to make it. While most store-bought jams are high in sugar and preservatives, your homemade jam doesn't have to be (note: if youre home canning, please follow the recipe exactly to prevent spoilage). Because berries are sweet themselves, many homemade jams dont require additional sweeteners. However, if your berries are more tart than sweet, try using an all-natural sweetener like honey to combat the tart berries. Using fresh berries full of fiber and other nutrients will ensure that you're feeding your family the best!

Fiber-Rich Jam Can Add Substance to Your Meals

Superfood Spotlight: The Benefits of Berries | Bob's Red Mill Blog If you love to enjoy a piece of toast or an English muffin in the morning but often find that you're hungry before lunch, you might not be including enough fiber in your meals. Topping your morning bagel, toast or muffin with a berry jam that's packed with fiber is a great way to add substance to your meal and keep your body full and energized. For a quick and easy-to-make jam to get you started, try this Blueberry Chia Jam! With just four ingredients, this jam can be made in under 30 minutes.

Berries Are Low-Carb

And last but not least, our favorite "berry benefit" is that this superfood can be enjoyed while following just about any diet. While berries may be high in nutrients, theyre incredibly low in carbs. Individuals on low carb and ketogenic diets frequently avoid fruit. However, because of their nutritional makeup, people following said diets can still enjoy berries in moderation. Not to mention, berries are a favorite and highly incorporated part of Paleo, Mediterranean, vegetarian and vegan diets. For individuals who want to ramp up their intake of essential vitamins and minerals, the few carbs and calories found in berries make them a fantastic food to include in desserts, snacks and meals! Searching for a way that you can sneak more berries into your diet? Here are a few ways we love to use berries daily!

Use Berries as a Topping

Using berries as a topping on your favorite dishes can help keep you creative in the kitchen and everyone satisfied. What you choose to top berries with depends on your taste preferences. Berries can be combined with a wide array of flavors, including sweet, savory, or even salty. Here are a couple of our favorite dishes to add berries to.

Mix Berries in Your Oatmeal

Superfood Spotlight: The Benefits of Berries | Bob's Red Mill Blog Oatmeal might as well be deemed the king of breakfast food. Nutritious, filling and full of flavor, enjoying a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast is a fantastic way to start your day. The protein and fiber found in your favorite variety of oats work hard to keep you full and energized until your next meal. To make your oatmeal even healthier, try topping it with tasty berries. Berries are an excellent way to sweeten up oatmeal naturally. Plus, they'll add a boost of nutrition that can't be matched. To make a flavorsome bowl of berry-infused oatmeal, whip up a batch of this Baked Blueberry Banana Chia Seed Oatmeal. Naturally sweet and soy-free, this dish is full of superfood ingredients. To make this oatmeal gluten free, swap out traditional rolled oats for our gluten free oats! For a sweet berry-filled oatmeal recipe, make this Montana Huckleberry Smore Oatmeal.

Add Berries to A Salad

When most picture a healthy salad, they immediately think "greens." While veggies and leafy greens are great salad ingredients, they're not the only ones out there. Depending on the type of salad you're craving, berries may be the perfect way to spice things up. Add berries to a sweet fruit salad or use them to create a filling salad full of grains like this Strawberry Basil Farro Salad. Whichever way you choose to add this superfood, we're confident that you won't be disappointed. Now that you know all of the wonderful benefits berries have to offer, it's time to start incorporating this superfood into your recipes. From smoothies to homemade jams, we've listed just a few of the several ways you can receive the health benefits of berries.  
Bob's Red Mill
June 06 2020

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