![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lavyon.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Berry-2.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\nWhen it comes to foods that both taste great and are great for your heart, it\u2019s hard to beat the berry. Berries of all kinds are rich in antioxidants \u2014 substances found in certain foods that help fight cell damage.<\/p>\n
\u201cAntioxidants work everywhere in the body, including the heart,\u201d says Johns Hopkins registered dietitian Kathleen Johnson, M.A., R.D., L.D.N. They\u2019re best consumed in real, whole foods \u2014 not supplements \u2014 especially colorful fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n
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Berries count among the most delicious and most versatile sources of these phytonutrients (plant-based chemical compounds). The various types of berries have slightly different qualities and amounts of these nutrients, so it\u2019s great to mix them up in your diet. Just remember to eat berries in moderation, Johnson says, because they do contain sugar. \u201cFresh or frozen is better than dried,\u201d he adds. \u201cDried berries have only 20 percent as many phytonutrients, and more sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meet the best of the berry crop:<\/p>\n
Blueberries<\/strong><\/span> Buying and storage tips<\/strong>: When they\u2019re in season (June to August), buy enough to freeze for later; adding some vitamin C powder first will keep them fresh even longer. Store fresh berries in the crisper section of your refrigerator and don\u2019t rinse until you\u2019re ready to use.<\/p>\n Eating tips<\/strong>: \u201cPut down the processed blueberry-flavored snacks and eat them whole,\u201d Johnson says. Try adding a handful to a smoothie for sweetness.<\/p>\n Blackberries<\/strong><\/span> Buying and storage tips:<\/strong> Like most berries, blackberries are seasonal in late spring and summer. Store them in the fridge, but not the crisper, and eat within a few days.<\/p>\n Eating tips:<\/strong> Check farmers markets for blackberries\u2019 close kin \u2014 the loganberry, boysenberry and marionberry. You can also buy these berries frozen and defrost them in the microwave to add to cereal or atop yogurt.<\/p>\n Strawberries<\/strong><\/span> Buying and storage tips:<\/strong> Because strawberries rank No. 4 on the Environmental Working Group\u2019s Dirty Dozen list of foods high in pesticides, Johnson recommends springing for organics. \u201cWashing berries doesn\u2019t help because the pesticide is in the soil and grows into the berry itself, which also has no protective skin,\u201d she explains. Look for berries that are red all over \u2014 no white \u2014 as they have more antioxidants and better taste.<\/p>\n Eating tips:<\/strong> Try slicing them onto green salads.<\/p>\n Other Great Berry Choices<\/strong><\/span> Cranberries:<\/strong> Many women know they\u2019re helpful in warding off urinary tract infections; they\u2019re also the berries lowest in sugar (4 grams per cup). Eat them whole, rather than as juice, which has all of the sugar (and often, more), none of the fiber and half the phytonutrients.<\/p>\n Goldenberries:<\/strong> Their yellow-gold color means they contain a slightly different nutrient package, Johnson says \u2014 and they make a berry salad look great!<\/p>\n Source: Johns Hopkins<\/p>\n Photography: Internet<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When it comes to foods that both taste great and are great for your heart, it\u2019s hard to beat the berry. Berries of all kinds are rich in antioxidants \u2014 substances found in certain foods that help fight cell damage. \u201cAntioxidants work everywhere in the body, including the heart,\u201d says Johns Hopkins registered dietitian Kathleen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":818,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-816","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/816\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAlthough they contain more sugar than other berries (15 grams per cup, compared to 5 grams for raspberries), this easy-to-find berry contains many different types of phytonutrients.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThey\u2019re kind of underplayed and underappreciated,\u201d Johnson says. They\u2019re also among the berries highest in antioxidants and fiber, and they have been less cultivated than blueberries, meaning what we eat today is closer to the fruit that once existed in the wild.<\/p>\n
\nTheir bright red color helps you \u201ceat the rainbow,\u201d an easy way to ensure you\u2019ll consume a rich variety of nutrients.<\/p>\n
\nRaspberries:<\/strong> These familiar favorites taste surprisingly sweet for berries so low in sugar (5 grams per cup).<\/p>\n