Every year millions of people vow to make this New Year the one where they finally start eating healthy or finally lose weight. However, by February the vast majority of these people have given up on their New Year’s resolutions and fallen back into their old eating habits.
While there are many reasons that people fail to achieve their New Year’s resolutions, one of the most common is the lack of a clear plan. People say they are going to eat healthy or try to lose weight but they don’t take it any further than that.
If you’ve been guilty of this in the past, then today I’m here to help. In this article I’m going to be focusing on one specific dietary change and explaining how adding blueberries to your diet can help you achieve all your health and fitness based New Year’s resolutions.
Why Blueberries?
If you keep up to date with health and fitness news, then you’ll be well aware that blueberries are constantly billed as one of the healthiest foods on the planet. A single cup serving adds a minimal 84 calories to your daily intake but also contains plenty of fiber, manganese, vitamin C and vitamin K. However, the real beauty of blueberries lies in the anthocyanins they contain. The anthocyanins are a group of powerful, health boosting nutrients with a long list of health benefits and blueberries are one of the richest food sources. By eating blueberries, you can take advantage of these health boosting properties of anthocyanins which include:
- Fighting cancer
- Keeping your blood healthy
- Preventing diabetes
- Reducing inflammation within your body
- Supporting a healthy heart
Foods To Substitute For Blueberries
Blueberries are naturally very sweet but actually contain very little sugar, with an entire cup of these powerful fruits packing less than 100 calories. This makes them the perfect substitute for candy and other sweet treats which often contain hundreds of calories per serving and very few nutrients. By swapping any of the sweet snacks below for blueberries, you’ll get to enjoy all the health benefits listed above and also reduce your daily caloric intake:
- Cakes
- Candy
- Chocolate
- Cookies
Serving Suggestions For Blueberries
Blueberries taste fantastic on their own and make a perfect sweet treat in their natural form. However, if you want to get a little creative and add some variety to the way you eat blueberries, check out the serving suggestions below:
- Blueberries & Oatmeal: Prepare your oatmeal as normal and then top with blueberries to give it a sweet, juicy twist.
- Blueberry Blast Smoothie: Place a cup of frozen blueberries and a cup of frozen raspberries into a blender and blend until the berries are combined and frothy for a tangy, blueberry infused smoothie.
- Blueberries & Greek Yogurt: Place a portion of Greek yogurt in a bowl and top with blueberries for a snack that’s naturally creamy and sweet.
Summary
I hope this article gives you a boost with your health and fitness based New Year’s resolutions. While blueberries alone aren’t enough to clean up your entire diet or help you lose weight, by having a clear plan and making small, consistent changes to your diet, you’re much more likely to succeed. Do this a few times with a few different foods and before you know it, your entire diet will be much healthier and those unwanted pounds will start to melt away.
Also read
Drink More Green Tea This New Year
Eat More Walnuts This New Year
Feast On Salmon This New Year
Snack On Pumpkin Seeds This New Year