Ten Healthy Ways to Prepare Blueberries
Ideas and Recipes that Don't Add Unwanted Fat and Calories
Jul 29, 2009
Blueberries have long been known as a super food. They are high in fiber and low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. They are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese. Blueberries also have a strong antioxidant capability, which means they produce nutrients that destroy free radicals. Free radical damage can contribute to a host of diseases, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's and dementia.
Traditional Blueberry Recipes Create Foods that are Diet Busters
The problem is that the way we typically prepare these fruits is not so good for overall health. The delicious pies, cobblers, and crisps that tend to emerge from a day of blueberry picking or a sale at the local market are loaded with artery clogging butter, not to mention heaps of sugar.
Healthy Ways to Enjoy Blueberries
There are plenty of ways to cook and prepare blueberries that minimize butter and sugar use. And the added bonus is that most of these ideas are less labor intensive than making pies and other baked goods.
- Eat as a snack. When healthy and delicious options are made easy, you will chose them. Forget the chips and candy. Instead, leave a bowl of fresh blueberries on your kitchen counter to snack on between meals.
- Use as a topping. This is another easy option that involves nothing but washing these delicious berries. Top the berries on cereal, yogurt, waffles, french toast, low-fat vanilla pudding, or ice cream. To increase the nutritional impact, sprinkle some ground flax-seed on these items as well.
- Drizzle with dark chocolate. Enjoy for dessert.
- Use as a salad topping. Purchase some fresh arugula from your local market. Top with sliced almonds, grated pecorino romano, and blueberries. Drizzle with olive oil. Finish your salad off with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- Make a blueberry parfait. Select a parfait glass. Alternate layers of low-fat Greek vanilla yogurt, granola, and fresh blueberries.
- Make a blueberry smoothie. Combine orange juice, vanilla yogurt, banana, blueberries, and ground flax-seed. Blend.
- Create a dessert topping. Mix fresh blueberries with chopped mint and sugar. Use as a dessert topping for ice cream or on top of a low calorie angel food cake.
- Create a sauce for meat or fish. Blueberries are sweet, but they don't have to be for dessert. The editors of Shape.com are great at sharing recipes that are creative, healthy, and easy to prepare. Try their recipe for pork with blueberry topping, or use it as a starting point to be creative in your cooking. This recipe could be used to enhance the flavor of chicken or fish as well.
- Add to your favorite healthy pancake batter.
- Make a blueberry-raspberry pizza.
Blueberry-Raspberry "Pizza"
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Roll out whole wheat pizza dough and place in a greased, 9X11 glass pan
- Sprinkle it with crumble. (To make the crumble, combine 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/3 cup sugar, 3 Tbs butter. Pulse in food processor )
- Arrange 1 pint of blueberries and 1 pint of raspberries on top of the dough and crumble mixture.
- Finish by sprinkling the remaining crumb on top
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.
Blueberries Done Healthy
Blueberries are delicious, nutritious foods. Don't diminish their nutritional value by combining them with loads of unhealthy ingredients. Keep it simple and enjoy.
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