Blueberries, plus summer? Yes please!

Check out your local market or pick your own, but don’t wait to indulge in one of the greatest tastes of summer. Blueberries are awesome, nutritious, and delicious. Consider these facts about blueberries…

Nutritious!

One cup of blueberries…

has just 80 calories and 4g of dietary fiber
contains 25% of the recommended daily value for vitamin C
and 36% of the recommended daily value for vitamin K

More Awesome Foods

Be sure to check out our other fawning praise of awesome foods, such as

Perfect for weight loss!

Blueberries contain mostly water, which makes them great for weight loss or maintenance because they fill you up quickly without adding a lot of calories

Versatile!

Blueberries make a healthy fruit topping for salads, yogurt, granola, oatmeal, or cottage cheese, or the occasional ice cream treat
Blueberries—and maybe a banana and a handful of spinach for good measure—plus yogurt and the milk or juice of your choice make for a perfect smoothie
Folded into a quick bread, or baked in a pie or cobbler, blueberries are naturally sweet, which means you can usually reduce the amount of sugar in any recipe without sacrificing taste
Blueberries freeze beautifully, allowing you to stock up and use a scoop at a time. To freeze, wash and dry the berries, lay them on a pan and freeze until they’re solid. Pack the berries in freezer-safe storage bags

The Science Behind the Delicious

Juicy blueberries also pack a nutritional punch. If you need more evidence regarding the awesomeness of blueberries, consider what the science says in regard to how these small-but-mighty berries help fight both disease and aging:

Color n’ style

The deep-blue color of blueberries comes from anthocyanin, a phytochemical
Phytochemicals are biologically active compounds found in plant-based foods linked to a reduced risk of cancer
Epidemiological studies associate regular, moderate intake of blueberries and/or anthocyanins with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and with improved weight maintenance and neuroprotection

Good for, like, thinking good

Evidence suggests that the intake of blueberries may improve cognitive performance (how well our brain functions) and boost memory

Affective against diabetes

Studies show that blueberries (and cranberries, too) are rich in polyphenols—beneficial plant compounds with antioxidant properties—that show promise in Type 2 diabetes management
Not only that, blueberries have a glycemic index (GI) of 53, which is classified as a low GI food

A low-GI diet improves blood sugar and insulin control and helps manage cholesterol levels, stabilizing blood sugar levels and leading to improvements in energy, mood and concentration levels

A Superfood?

You might have heard that blueberries are a so-called “superfood,” but health experts at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health caution that we shouldn’t be distracted by overhyped foods.

Blueberries are a good example of this trend. They are incredibly nutritious and a lovely part of summer seasonal eating (frozen berries are great all year round, of course), but one little berry (or even a whole bowl) can’t solve all of our health issues. If you’re eating a lot of high-fat, artery-clogging processed foods, adding blueberries won’t cancel out the negative impact of those not-so-good choices.

Just enjoy the awesomeness of blueberries as part of a complete and healthy diet, which should include five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Focus on choosing a variety of foods that make up a super-healthy-eating plate of mostly fruits and vegetables, with smaller amounts of whole grains, protein, and healthy plant oils.

Bonus Recipe!

Baked Blueberry & Banana-Nut Oatmeal Cups

Total Time: 50 minutes • Servings: 12

silly AI generated blueberry muffin image

Recipe courtesy Eating Well

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 ½ cups low-fat milk
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
⅓ cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
½ cup chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F
Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray
Combine oats, milk, bananas, brown sugar, eggs, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and salt in a large bowl
Fold in blueberries and pecans
Divide the mixture between the muffin cups (about 1/3 cup each)
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack
Serve warm or at room temperature

The Awesomeness of Blueberries