Berries

Delicious, colorful berries are also some of the healthiest foods you can find. And you don’t need to travel to the Amazon to find them. Popular berries include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and cranberries. And if you live in an area where wild berries grow, you might find other yummy and healthy berry varieties that will never make it to supermarket shelves.

Berries get many of their nutritional bragging rights from their huge antioxidant capacity. Those with dark blue or red hues signal the presence of anthocyanins, polyphenols, and antioxidants like resveratrol. Good sources of fiber, many berries are high in vitamin C, manganese, and vitamin K1.

Berries offer many health benefits. They can lift mood and help prevent depression, preserve cognitive function as you age, and prevent several neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. They also combat cardiovascular disease, cancer, and even acne.

One of the best ways to get berries into your diet is simply to pop them into your mouth. Fresh, sweet, juicy berries make one of the world’s all-time best snacks! You can eat them for dessert, either on their own or as part of a fruit salad or fruit compote. Berries also add sweetness and flavor to savory dishes (except for cranberries, which offer tartness). You can blend them into smoothies and smoothie bowls, freeze them into popsicles, and blend them into sauces, salad dressings, and dessert toppings.