Beautiful Blueberries

Whether you eat them alone, toss them in a salad, use them as garnish, or puree them in a smoothie, blueberries are a delicious treat. The fact that they are loaded with health promoting nutrients and phytonutrients is simply extra blueberries on the proverbial whole wheat pancake.

Nutritional Profile
Considered a good or very good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Manganese and dietary fiber, blue berries are a nutritional titan. And the goodness doesn't stop there as they also contain an impressive mix of phytonutrients, including a number of carotenoids and flavonoids which are two classes of powerful compounds abundant in fruits and vegetables that are believed to protect us against disease.

Calorie Count
A one cup serving provides 80 calories, making blueberries a nutrient dense food.

Selection
When buying fresh blueberries, avoid containers with spoiled or soft blueberries. Ideally, blueberries should be firm, have a uniform blue color, and move freely in the container when  shaken gently.  Blueberries with a red tinge may not be ripe and thus lacking in sweetness and nutrition. Because of their relatively short shelf-life, frozen blueberries are an excellent option, particularly if added to a baked product or a smoothie. You can also eat them frozen for a refreshing snack on a hot summer day. And because frozen fruits are generally picked at peak ripeness and immediately frozen, they contain peak nutritional value.

Storage
To maximize shelf-life, remove any soft, moldy, or spoiled berries from the container before storing in the refrigerator. On average most berries will remain fresh for approximately 3 days. ​

​Serving suggestions

• ​ eat plain
• mix with pecans
• include in a fruit salad
• add to your favorite fruit smoothie
• add to whole wheat pancakes then use as a garnish (you can also cook some and use to make a syrup substitute)
• add to plain yogurt with a little granola