Healthy Highlight: Blueberries

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Blueberries are one of our favorite additions to yogurt, fruit salad and breakfast right? Blueberries are a great superfood loaded with nutrients that can help lower blood pressure, prevent heart disease, improve memory and more. Not to mention, they are delicious!

  • One cup of blueberries contains 24% of the RDI of Vitamin C
  • Blueberries are blue for a specific reason. Anthocyanin gives blueberries their color and also powerful antioxidant effects. 
  • Blueberries are full of iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K, which, combined, are great for maintaining healthy bones.
  • Vitamin C helps prevent skin damage caused by sun, pollution, and smoke.

Recipes:

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars (wellplated.com)

  • 1 cup old-fashioned Rolled Oats
  • 3/4 cup White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1/3 cup Light Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
  • 2 cups fresh Blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon Cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
  • 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar

For Optional Vanilla Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tablespoon Milk
  1. Place a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 375 degrees F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs two sides like handles.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, white whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until it forms clumps and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.
  3. Scatter half of the blueberries over the crust. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the top, then sprinkle on the lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar. Scatter on the remaining berries, then the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top. You will have some fruit showing through.
  4. Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumb topping smells toasty and looks golden. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely (you can speed this process along in the refrigerator).
  5. While the bars cool, prepare the glaze: in a medium bowl, briskly whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Feel free to add more milk if a thinner consistency is desired. Using the parchment paper handles, lift the bars from the pan. Drizzle with the glaze, slice, and serve.

Healthy Blueberry Crisp (thecleaneatingcouple.com)

  • 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
  • 1/4 cup Pecans
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
  • 1 lb Frozen Blueberries
  1. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a greased 8×8 baking dish
  2. In a bowl whisk together oats, pecans, spices, coconut oil and maple syrup until combined
  3. Pour frozen berries into bottom of the pan. Layer crumble topping evenly on top of berries
  4. Bake at 350 for 30 mins until berries are soft and crisp topping is golden brown

Healthy Blueberry Zucchini Muffins (ambitiouskitchen.com)

  • 1 1/2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup shredded Zucchini, squeezed of excess moisture with a paper towel
  • 1/2 cup Pure Maple Syrup or Honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1/3 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen Blueberries
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with muffin liners. Either way I recommend using nonstick cooking spray. This guarantees that they muffins will not stick to the liners or the pan.
  2. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
  3. In a separate medium bowl, add the following wet ingredients: shredded zucchini, pure maple syrup, vanilla and almond extract, olive oil, applesauce, egg and milk; mix until well combined. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in blueberries.
  4. Even distribute batter among muffin tins, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 22-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the muffin comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes then remove muffins and transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Makes 12 muffins.