I think I might have mentioned that I am not a strawberry fan. I will eat them, but I don’t go all gaga for them. Usually if they are in a fruit salad I will give them to my hubby. But we were invited to a Fourth of July party at the last minute and I didn’t know what to bring. I didn’t think about the Champagne Strawberries, but even if I had it was so last minute that would not have worked. I wanted to bring something cool since it had been hot and I wanted to bring something colorfully patriotic. And, of course, since it was the last minute I wanted to bring something easy. So I opted for strawberries, raspberries, yogurt, and blueberries. Red, white, and blue. Basically using the yogurt like a dip and dipping the fruit into it. Well, a little out of character (I’m usually running late), we arrived right on time. Which is always a bit shocking for hosts. There wasn’t much food out at the time because no one else was there. I thought I would try a strawberry in the yogurt (I like raspberries and blueberries even less than strawberries). Much to my surprise I liked it. I really liked it. The yogurt was Honey flavored Greek yogurt. Then this past weekend I was going to go to a friend’s so I bought some strawberries and yogurt thinking we could snack on that. But then I didn’t end up going. But, I did end up eating the strawberries and yogurt. So it got me thinking about the nutritional value of strawberries. I had thought I had heard something about them having a lot of fiber.
Of course one place I found information on strawberries was Wiki. Wiki says botanically the strawberry is not even a berry because the actual fruit (flesh) doesn’t come from a plant’s ovaries.
Several sources state that strawberries may help prevent heart disease. The World’s Healthiest Foods, says: “Research on the antioxidant content of strawberries is providing us with stronger and stronger evidence about their ability to lower risk of cardiovascular disease.” One website mentioned a study showed that young and middle-aged women’s risk of heart attack was reduced by 32 percent by regularly consuming one of the flavonoids found in strawberries. In animal studies, the anti-inflammatory flavonoid, quercetin, showed to “reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and protect against the damage caused by low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.”
They may also help lower blood pressure with their high potassium and polyphenol content. High potassium, might help lower the risk of strokes. Their antioxidants might help lower the risk of strokes and cancer. The anti-inflammatory flavonoid, quercetin – as mentioned before – might even help with some allergy symptoms.
Strawberries are high in vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Nutritional breakdown of strawberries according to the United States Department of Agriculture
Serving Size: 1 cup halves fresh strawberries (152 grams)
Calories: 49
Protein: 1.02 gram
Carbohydrates: 11.67 grams
Sugar: 7.43 grams
Dietary fiber: 3 grams
Calcium: 24 milligrams
Iron: 0.62 milligrams
Magnesium: 20 milligrams
Phosphorus: 36 milligrams
Potassium: 233 milligrams
Vitamin C: 89.4 milligrams
Vitamin A: 44.82 international units
So many people love strawberries. And they can be eaten so many different ways. They can be eaten fresh and all by them selves or added to any variety of dishes. They can be cooked, canned, preserved . . . so many ways. I normally don’t like fruit in my yogurt, but I liked dipping the strawberries in it.
Do you like strawberries? Were you aware of the many perceived health benefits of strawberries? How do you like to eat them?
