My food Choices – Blueberries.

In my food choices for my lifestyle menu I decided to add blueberries as a staple part of my quest for a healthy regime. Blueberries are widely regarded for both their health benefits as well as being relatively low in calories. In this series I explore the individual foods I have chosen to add to my menu, I want to talk about why I’ve chosen these foods, provide updates on how I find eating them long term and why you might want to consider adding these foods to your diet. So here are two reasons why I chose the blueberry.

Nutrition- Blueberries Pack a Punch

Blueberries have some good things going for them nutrition wise. For starters as far as fruits and berries are concerned their sugar content is relatively low while still providing a sweet addition to a healthy smoothie. They also contain a reasonable amount of fiber which helps regulate that sugar into the bloodstream when consumed. Blueberries also hold a significant amount of vitamin C.  Where blueberries really shine however is in their antioxidant content and the potential that could bring to your health. These antioxidants called anthocyanins are the pigment that give some fruits and vegetables their dark red, purple and blue hues.

There was a lot of hype in the media regarding the antioxidants in blueberries labeling the blueberry as a “superfood”. Much of the research regarding the health benefits of this antioxidant is still in its early stages and it would be too early to say that this food is indeed a superfood. However some of the preliminary results seem promising, suggesting health benefits in cardiovascular health and cancer prevention. Whether or not blueberries do turn out to be a “superfood” or not it seems to me with their nutritional content, low calories, refreshing taste and with even the potential of some of the antioxidant benefits, it was a no brainer to add this berry to my diet.

Convenience

One of the important things to my lifestyle change was to create a menu that was simple and easy to access at all times.  Something about blueberries that I find nice is they are almost always easily available. During the summer months when they are in season blueberries can be bought in bulk at the supermarket and from local farms in my area at a good price. I like to buy large boxes later in the season and freeze them for future months. The Berry seemed to freeze the best by placing them flat on a cookie tray in the freezer and then placing them in a zip lock bag for convenience of access. While other  berries also provide great nutrition and are wonderful in smoothies, I sometimes find their quality degrades depending on where in the season they are.  If I run out of my blueberries, there always seems to be a good supply of large bags of frozen blueberries in the freezer section of my local supermarket. Using blueberries frozen also creates a nice cold refreshing aspect to my morning smoothie that I love.

Conclusion- Blueberries are Hard to Beat

I have eaten blueberries for years and adding them to my menu seems like a perfect way to add a nutritional punch without adding significant calories all while improving the flavor of my smoothies. There really seems no downside to these little berries and with the promising research regarding the antioxidants, lots of significant upside potential. They are affordable, convenient, healthy and have all kinds of good possibilities. What is not to like.