Blueberries are considered one of the most healthy and tasty berries. There is a huge number of recipes with it. But do not forget that blueberries are not just a tasty treat, but also are equivalent to medicine. Thanks to the substances it contains, blueberries can have a positive effect on the human body.
It’s a low-calorie berry (1/2 cup has a total of 40 calories), rich in antioxidants. Does not contain fats, cholesterol, and sodium, but there is ascorbic acid, potassium, magnesium, and fiber, that are beneficial to the digestive system. This is an excellent dietary food that promotes weight loss.
In addition, regular consumption of blueberries reduces the risk of heart diseases and strokes, helps fight infections, improves vision and memory.
Nutritional value:
Calories – 44
Proteins – 1.1 g.
Fat – 0.4 g
Carbohydrates – 7.6 g.
The glycemic index (GI) classifies sources of carbohydrates depending on their ability to increase the level of glucose in the blood. Distribution of food by GI helps to plan a nutrition program aimed at losing weight and controlling appetite. From this point of view, low-index foods are more efficient. One of them is wild blueberry with GI 53.
Top 5 blueberry smoothie recipes
The Ultimate Frothy Breakfast
Ingredients
- 150 grams of spinach
- 30 grams of oat flakes
- 1/2 cup of greek yogurt
- 100 grams of blueberry
- 1/4 cup of kombucha optional
Instructions
- Pour the yogurt over the oats and let sit in the fridge overnight.
- Make sure to wash the spinach carefully
- Add all the ingredients to a blender cup and pulse for a few minutes.
- Pour into glasses and serve garnished with a few additional blueberries.
Mixed Berry Freezie
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of blueberry
- 1/4 cup of wild strawberry
- 1/4 cup of raspberry
- 1/4 cup of blackberry
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1/2 cup of ice
Instructions
- Combine all the berries an freeze them overnight.
- Pour the coconut milk into a cup of a blender and pulse.
- Gradually add the berries. Do not overbeat the cocktail, otherwise, the berries will unmelt quickly and the drink will be warm.
- Put the ice into glasses and pour the mixture over it. Serve while freezing cold.
Almond Milk-Carob
Ingredients
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 6 ounces of blueberry Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp of honey optional
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 tbsp of carob
- 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
Instructions
- You can pour the almond milk into ice cube molds and freeze it overnight. Or, if you prefer the drink to be on the warm side - don't hesitate to use your blender!
- Mix all the ingredients until they reach an even smooth texture. Pour into glasses and garnish with more carob and berries.
Benefits of blueberries for weight loss
Many overweight women or simply the ones that are adhering to a healthy low-calorie diet are interested in a rational the use of blueberries for weight loss. Since this berry has a very low nutritional value it helps to improve digestion, it may well become a vitamin supplement to the diet.
You can replace dinner with a cup of fresh berries or drink a tea made with its leaves (which are very fragrant) for breakfast every morning. It is also very favorable to consume teas and infusions of blueberries and leaves, whose caloric content will not exceed 10 kcal per 100 ml, as a tonic, choleretic and digestion aid.
Surely, jams and jellies from this berry cannot be considered a dietary product. Jam made of it is rather high in calories – 214 kcal per 100 g of product. Of course, this figure is highly dependent on cooking recipe. But nevertheless, in a proper diet probiotic drinks and non-fat products with blueberries look more promising, their caloric content does not exceed 80 kcal per 100 g – yogurts, milk kefir, water kefir, curds.
Conclusion: shed those extra pounds with pleasure
This berry is arguably the most glorified and praised among nutritionists. Besides working miracles for your figure, it has the most marvelous impact on your body due to its vitamin and mineral content.
Vitamins:
- C – 10 mg per 100 g;
- A – 1.5 mg per 100 g;
- B1 – 0,010 mg per 100 g;
- B2 – 0.02 mg per 100 g;
- PP – 0.3 mg per 100 g;
Minerals:
Calcium – 16 mg per 100 g;
Potassium – 51 mg per 100 g;
Iron – 0.7 mg per 100 g;
Phosphorus and magnesium in meager amounts.
By consuming blueberries you improve your eyesight, reduce the risk of tumors and diseases and lose weight. But mind that it has health restrictions, just like any other food. It is not recommended to use fresh berries and their juice to people with kidney stone diseases. Also known rare cases of idiosyncrasy – intolerance to substances in the composition of blueberries, manifested by allergic reactions. So, before rushing to make the smoothies from our list – make sure you consult your doctor first.
