Strawberry Fields Forever
Did you know that strawberries are one of the top favorite fruits in america? They only come in second to bananas, but what’s not to love? Strawberries are undoubtedly delicious and versatile for a myriad of smoothies, dishes, and desserts, but there’s much more to this simple berry than meets the eye.
For starters, the strawberry isn't a berry at all! It’s a pseudocarp, or a “false fruit.” The strawberry is a cluster of multiple fruits that are embedded in a fleshy, red mass. The part that is the true fruit is actually what most think of as the seeds! These are called “achenes” and within them, is the true seed.
Putting the strawberry’s false identity aside, they carry an enormous amount of health benefits and it’d be wise to prepare for their picking season this spring!
Strawberries contain a high amount of natural vitamin C and antioxidants, which can help reduce the chances of developing serious health conditions like heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.
In addition they are also excellent sources of magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, folate, and vitamin K. While all of these are big brownie points for strawberries, it’s important to note that they also do contain sugar, however this sugar is natural fructose. Thankfully, the fibers they also contain help slow down your body’s absorption of sugars. With this in mind, it’s recommended to keep your serving size of strawberries to a cup or less.
Luckily again, you can add that cup of strawberries to just about anything and it will undoubtedly be a flavor game changer! Add them to a smoothie, your cereal, yogurt, pancakes, even on toast! It’s hard to go wrong or mess up when it comes to strawberries.
Our favorite Simple Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 10 oz of Milk (Dairy, Oat, Almond, ect. All works well!)
- 1 cup Frozen Strawberries
- 1 cup frozen/banana
- 2 tbs honey
- Combine in a blender and pulse till smooth.
- Serve in your glass or cup of choice and enjoy!
- This recipe is great on its own, but is a great base to ass other favorites. Add granola, dark chocolate bits, peanut butter, or your favorite protein powder to spice things up. Just keep in mind that you may need to add additional milk in order for things to blend well.
