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What are blueberries?
Blueberries grow on the blueberry bush, they are green in colour when they first appear, then deepen to purple and blue as they ripen. Typically, blueberries thrive best in humid, northern climates that have winter chills, mild summers, and low-pH or acidic soils.
Nutrition facts for one cup of blueberries
Serving size: 1 cup
Serving weight: 121.21g
| Nutrient | Value |
| Calories | 393.9 kCal |
| Total carbs | 93.9 g |
| Net carbs | 87.9 g |
| Fibre | |
| Sugar | 84.9 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Supplemental | Value |
| Calcium | 303 mg |
| Iron | 1.1 mg |
| Sodium | 30.3 mg |
| Vitamin C | 18.2 mg |
Blueberries, a wonderful superfruit
You must have seen dried blueberries along the shelves at your local grocer or supermarket. A dark, rich blue colour, the packets of blueberries along the supermarket aisle may appear unassuming. Yet, these fruits are packed with many health benefits that you may not have known. This post will introduce you to the wonderful world of blueberries and the many ways, shapes, and forms in which you can add this miraculous fruit to your diet.
6 health benefits of dried blueberries
Fibre
Vitamin K
Vitamin K
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Brain
#1 Fibre
Dried blueberries contain up to twelve grams of fibre per cup versus the three to four grams per cup in fresh blueberries. Twelve grams of fibre satisfies almost half of your daily fibre requirement! Fibre is good for the gut and helps to promote healthy bowel movement, so grab a handful of it whenever your bowels are in need of a boost.
#2 Vitamin K
Dried blueberries are packed with vitamin K. Dried blueberries provide about 23.8 micrograms of the vitamin per ¼ cup, which makes about 20-26% of the recommended daily value of vitamin K. It is crucial in ensuring the production of prothrombin, allowing for blood to clot when a person is injured. It is also essential for bone metabolism, ensuring your bones are strong and healthy.
#3 Vitamin C
A cup of dried blueberries also contains about 30-35% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is essential for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues. Another common benefit of vitamin C is that it can promote the strengthening of the immune system, protecting the body against disease. Similar to vitamin K, it also serves as an antioxidant.
#4 Antioxidants
Compared to other fruits and vegetables, blueberries are considered to have one of the highest antioxidant values. Antioxidants help to prevent free radicals. These contribute to the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.
#5 Reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol
Having a diet high in fat can lead to a whole host of diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, and inflammation. By including dried blueberries in your diet, it can in fact help to counteract these adverse effects. This is because the antioxidants in blueberries can reduce the oxidation of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.
#6 Benefits the brain
Dried blueberries can help to boost brain function and slow down age-related cognitive diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and other similar brain conditions. Those who incorporate more blueberries into their diet are also more likely to have a healthier nervous system as flavonoids in dried blueberries lower oxidative stress in the nerve cells.
How do I include dried blueberries into my diet?
Well, I’m glad you asked! There are so many ways to include this versatile food into your diet. They are not only packed with nutrients but also add a wondrous purple hue to the foods you add them to. Dried blueberries are great as a snack on their own, but can also be consumed in other ways. Some examples include:
| In a smoothie: Add frozen bananas, dried blueberries, low-fat yoghurt and honey to a blender. Blend until the desired consistency is achieved. A simple, healthy and nutritious morning smoothie! |
| In your cereal: Want to switch up your regular breakfast cereal or oatmeal? Add some dried fruit, such as dried blueberries and cranberries to add a depth of flavour to boring cereal. Adding dried fruits also provides you with more carbohydrates to give you the fuel you may need for the rest of the day. |
| To dress your salads: Sprinkle a handful of blueberries to give your salad additional texture. Enjoy the concentrated flavours of this wonderful fruit! |
| In a nut mix: The sweet, refreshing flavour of blueberries can pair well with the nutty, slightly bitter flavours of nuts. Try out this nut mix that features dried blueberries, cranberries, raisins, almonds and cashews! |
What about fresh blueberries?
Other than size, dried and fresh blueberries differ very little in terms of nutritional benefit. A serving of dried blueberries is about ¼ cup. In comparison, they measure up to about 1 cup when fresh. They both have the same antioxidant value and the same amount of fibre. Comparatively, dried blueberries do contain more sugar and calories than fresh ones, so do be careful of how much you eat!
Where do I get my dried blueberries?
We hope you are as excited about dried blueberries as we are. Add the best dried blueberries to you cart now!
