Tomorrow is Pick Strawberries Day!

Tomorrow (May 20) is National Pick Strawberries day!!

What the heck is pick strawberries day?  It’s a day set aside to celebrate the ruby gems that symbolize the onset of summer.  I have no idea when it was created, but I know I love strawberries.  Here in Oregon they don’t start coming on until June, but the California strawberry is already making it’s way to the markets.  If you live in an area that has those fresh berries starting to ripen, go out to the fields and pick some yourself!  It’s a great way to spend a morning with your kids – getting outdoors and bringing home a nutritious and delicious treat!

These juice little fruits that we are familiar with, Fragaria ananassa, originated in Europe in the 1700s.  They are a hybrid of two wild strawberries – one from North America and one from South America.

Strawberries are not only a low-calorie treat, they are so full of nutrients!  Strawberries are in the top twenty of high antioxidant levels of any fruit.  Antioxidants are those support guys that push the damaging free radicals out of our blood stream.  Our bodies create both, but not enough of the antioxidants to keep a healthy balance.  So we need to get them from the foods we eat.  Strawberries are also high in B-6, magnesium, folate, biotin (good for your hair and nails), potassium and have plenty of fiber.  They are also the high in vitamin C – right there in the top 5 fruits for that vitamin – AND they are low in sugar!

They are 90% water and only 8% carbs (4.9g sugar) – and one cup is only 50 calories!!

Other than eating them just straight out of the bowl, what can you do with these berries?

Slice some up in a spinach salad – cut them into chunks and mix them in a cup of plain yogurt –

Here are some more ideas from me – and there’s room for more!  Please add your strawberry posts!

Bring on those Berries!


This entry was posted in Fruits and Vegetables, strawberry and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

5 Responses to Tomorrow is Pick Strawberries Day!

  1. Strawberries are almost ready for picking here! I can’t wait!

  2. Our strawberries ripen in March so we’ll have to stick with store bought! Anyway you get them, they sure are good!

  3. Pingback: Give Your Kids Good Nutrition With Easy Steps - The Lazy GastronomeThe Lazy Gastronome

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