Healthy Eating

Berries at their best

One of the sweetest parts of summer is the bounty of delicious, fresh berries available in the grocery store and local markets like the Lincoln Square or Andersonville farmers markets. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries not only add fantastic color to our tables, but great nutrition as well, according to Kate Kinne, registered dietitian and nutrition supervisor at Galter LifeCenter and the writer behind Well Community's Nutrition blog.

“These luscious fruits are free of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, and a cup of raspberries offers eight grams of fiber for just 50 calories, while a cup of blackberries provides half of your vitamin C requirement for a day,” she said.

Eat these healthy fruits by themselves or incorporate into your diet in different ways:

• Add to bran muffins or whole wheat pancake mixes
• Try as toppings on your cereal or oatmeal
• Serve with low fat yogurt for dessert
• Sprinkle on a spinach salad and serve with Vidalia onion dressing or balsamic vinegar
• Make a smoothie
• Use in salsas to serve with fish or chicken
• Add to frozen fruit juice popsicles

Guilt-free summer smoothies

For a fantastic smoothie, get creative and experiment with different berry combinations.

All you need to do is blend the following ingredients together:

½ cup skim milk

½ cup low fat yogurt

½ cup ice

1 cup fresh berries (you can use frozen as well, just add a few more berries and skip the ice)

For added sweetness, include a little honey or a splash of orange juice.

 Enjoy!

• Login or register to post comments