The nutrients in strawberries are just icing on the cake when it comes to this delicious berry. It happens to be one of my favorites and summertime is the perfect time to stock up and enjoy this sweet, delicious fruit. You can find them all over the place and you can do so many things with strawberries. Eat them plain, add them to cereal or oatmeal, make muffins or scones, or make fruit salad. Whatever you do with them, the nutrients in strawberries add some nutrition to your summertime meal plans.
1 Vitamin C
Strawberries are one of the fruits highest in vitamin C with nearly 90 milligrams per cup, making it one of the most important nutrients in strawberries. That’s more than you need in a day! Vitamin C is important for boosting immunity, which means strawberries can fight off all kinds of unpleasant illnesses, including the common cold. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, which means it fights free radical damage and can stave off all sorts of health problems.
Frequently asked questions
2 B Vitamins
You won’t satisfy your daily quota of B vitamins, but you’ll certainly contribute with a pile of strawberries. B vitamins help your body convert your food into energy, so you definitely don’t want to be deficient in them. Combine your strawberries with fortified cereal to get even more B vitamins.
3 Folic Acid
Women need an adequate amount of folic acid during pregnancy to prevent certain birth defects, but you must be getting enough before conception to ensure its benefit. Women of child bearing age should be watching their folic acid intake on a daily basis and adding strawberries to your meal plans is a great way to do so, with 36 micrograms per cup.
4 Potassium
A cup of strawberries weighs in with 233 milligrams of potassium. That’s great news because you need plenty of potassium to help your body regulate blood pressure. If your levels get too low, you are at risk of suffering from a heart attack. Luckily, this isn’t too common, but it pays to be sure you’re getting enough potassium each day.
5 Fiber
With 3 grams of fiber per cup, strawberries are a totally tasty way to get enough each day. Fiber is great for weight loss because it fills you up and digests slowly, which means you’ll feel full longer. It’s also important for bowel regulation and digestion and it helps remove cholesterol from your bloodstream, lowering your risk of heart disease. What more could you want?
6 Vitamin a
With 18 IU of vitamin A per cup, strawberries add a bit to your daily intake recommendations for this important vitamin. It’s another antioxidant so it has similar benefits to vitamin C, but it also supports healthy gums and teeth. It’s definitely a nutrient you don’t want to be deficient in, but you can get too much so be cautious about overloading on vitamin C.
7 Carbohydrates
I know carbs get a bad rap when it comes to weight control, but don’t freak out. There are good and bad carbs and the nearly 12 grams you get from a cup of strawberries is the kind you want. Carbs are your body’s main source of energy so you don’t want to go totally carb-free. Strawberries are a delicious and healthy way to make sure your body is fueled for the day.
Do you love strawberries? Do any of these nutrients make you want to eat them? I hope you enjoy strawberries every day this summer.
