Strawberries…you gotta love ’em

Hello world! I am putting a little twist on my food blog. I want to send you some posts here and there that provide you with a little nutrition education. Today…STRAWBERRIES!

Are you still there? 😉 I hope so! This is going to be more fun than it sounds!

Strawberries. What is it about these little guys that make them healthy for you? Why should you eat them? How should you eat them? What do you need to do if you have some fresh strawberries that you want to freeze? Well, I am going to answer these questions for you!

My little guys are enjoying two of their favorite things: 1) Play-doh 2) Strawberries! They could not get enough! It is funny that every day when I kiss them goodbye at daycare, they ask to play with play-doh after school. But when I put that bowl of berries in front of them they forgot all about the play-doh!

When buying strawberries at the store, there are a couple important things to remember. Strawberries have a relatively short shelf life so inspect the carton well and make sure the strawberries are red all over, even at the tip. Any presence of white or green will give them a tart flavor.

Strawberries are high in Vitamin C content. One cup of whole strawberries contains 84mg of Vitamin C, which is 94% of the % daily value. Why is this mumbo jumbo important? Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. It plays a role in a healthy immune system, tissue growth and repair, and strong bones and teeth. Children do not usually pass up a ripe, juicy strawberry! Plus they are eating a snack that promotes health and growth! For you health conscious folks out there 1 cup of whole strawberries only contains 46 calories. That is a smart snack choice if you ask me! I like pairing strawberries with greek yogurt and letting my kids dip the strawberries in it because they have fun eating them that way.

Last week there was a bountiful amount of fresh, red ripe strawberries at Hy-Vee and I wanted to go nuts and so I did! When I got home, I decided I was going to freeze half of them so I could enjoy some delicious strawberries later as well! One of the things that gripes me with frozen berries is that they are all stuck together in one huge clump. I really hate that. So, I did a little research and found a way to prevent this. First, wash all of your strawberries well and pat them dry with a paper towel. Then cut off the tops and lay them top side down on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about one hour and then remove. Stick them in a ziploc bag and return the strawberries to the freezer without worrying about them sticking together.

Now for some strawberry Pinspiration!! I have compiled a list of my favorite strawberry inspired pins on Pinterest. These recipes all look equally amazing! I honestly have not had a chance to make all of these recipes but I feel like I can taste some of these amazing treats just by looking at them!! Here ya go…

1. Gimme Some Oven- 5 Ingredient Strawberry Salsa
2. Oh My Goodness Chocolate Desserts- Cream Cheese Strawberry Cookies
3. The Recipe Critic- Strawberry Chicken Salad
4. Mommie Cooks- Homemade Strawberry Breakfast Bars
5. Jessica Gavin- Peanut Butter and Strawberry Chia Jelly Smoothie

Definitely going to try out the rest of these recipes after revisiting them! YUMMAY!! Hope you enjoyed a little learning!

Love,

3 Scoops of Sugar 🙂