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
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.
Melon Protein Shake
Ingredients
- 1 cup cantaloupe
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup of light vanilla yogurt
- 1/4 cup of non-fat milk
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 tsp ground flaxseed
Instructions
- Cube the cantaloupe. You can freeze it beforehand if you like.
- Combine the contents of the recipe in a food processor or blender and start mixing. Stop when you see a creamy consistency.
- Drink it right away or on the go, but don’t forget to refrigerate it.
Berry Bombshell
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of blueberries
- 1/2 cup of strawberries
- 1/3 cup of raspberries
- 1/2 banana
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 cup of baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon of chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup optional
Instructions
- Peel the banana, tear it up and freeze it overnight along with the berries.
- Place in a cup of a blender and give them a good mix. Do it until it’s completely homogeneous.
- Serve in tall cups, garnished with chia seeds.
Zucchini-Plum
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini
- 3 oz of blueberries
- 1 plum
- 1 tbsp of flaxseed
- 1 sprig of basil
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 1 tbsp of honey optional
- 1 cup of ice
Instructions
- Pit the plum.
- Peel the zucchini and chop it up into cubes.
- Mix all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Stop mixing when you see that the elements are fully incorporated.
- Enjoy right away or refrigerate up to 3 hours.
Enjoyable Goji
Ingredients
- 1 banana
- 3 oz of blueberries
- 1 orange
- 2 tbsp of goji berries
- 1 tbsp of flaxseed
- 1 cup of ice
- 1/2 tsp of almond extraxt
- 1 tbsp of maple syrup optional
Instructions
- Peel the banana, tear it into chunks and freeze it.
- Peel the orange and cut it up into large pieces to lose less juice.
- Place everything into a blender cup and start pulsing. You’ll know that you’re done when you see a creamy texture.
- Pour into glasses, garnish with more goji berries and serve. Enjoy!
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.
