Strawberries for Health 3 Ways: with GF Mom Certified
Jun 01, 2022 12:00AM ● By GF Mom Certified
In June we celebrate the Full Strawberry Moon. This lunar event marks the coming of strawberry season. Local strawberry farms will be open for pick your own and local farmers markets will be full of the fresh berries. If you have space there are also many ways to grow strawberries in your own yard such as a utilizing a raised garden bed, planting in a pallet, or even hanging in a basket. Strawberry plants are easy to grow, and they are perennials, meaning they coming back year after year. Strawberry plants also shoot out runners and produce baby strawberry plants similar to the spider house plant. The white flowers on the plants appear in May when the weather begins to warm. Each flower will turn into a berry.
Strawberries are a delicious and healthful snack choice. The berries are low on the glycemic index, and WebMd suggests strawberries as a great option for people looking to control or reduce their glucose level. They also pack a punch of antioxidants. Studies are showing that the flavonoids in the strawberry may help offset inflammation in the brain and help with brain fog. They also contain potassium which supports heart health. This is a well-rounded fruit is perfect for summer snacking.
Here are a few recipes for the season.
Berry Mix Salad (makes 6 servings, serving size 1 cup)
1 package strawberries, rinsed and halved
1 package raspberries, rinsed
1 package blackberries, rinsed
1 package blueberries, rinsed
Mix all the berries together in a large bowl and store covered in the fridge.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie (serves 1)
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut Milk
3 frozen Strawberries
1 orange
1 brown Spotted Banana
1/4 cup Frozen Raspberries
1 tsp Flax
1 tsp Cod Liver Oil
1 capsule Probiotic, opened (optional)
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until creamy.
The more ice or frozen berries, the thicker it gets.
Strawberry Chia Pudding
Serving size: 1/2 cup. Make 10 servings.
Ingredients for 1st layer, Chia Pudding:
1 1/2 cups chia seeds
3 cups coconut or other plant based milk
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 Tbs coconut sugar
Ingredients for 3rd layer, strawberry topping
2 cups strawberries
2 Tbs coconut sugar
Directions:
In a bowl, stir together the chia seeds and protein powder. Add the coconut milk and stir together. Let soak for 5 minutes.
In a high-speed blender, blend the strawberry topping ingredients together still they appear like jam.
To assemble your pudding cups, scoop 1/4 cup chia pudding into the bottom. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Top with 1 heaping tablespoon of the strawberry topping. Store in the refrigerator covered for up to 4 days.
Article courtesy of Tiffany Hinton, GF Mom Certified. Connect with Tiffany online at @gfmomcertified and listen to Tiffany's podcast Cultivating Guts on Spotify or iTunes.
Visit CultivatingGuts.com for more info. You can also check out Tiffany’s website, GFMomCertified.com and her latest book at ThriveClean.org.
