Cara Cunningham, MINDI, Community Dietitian
The Beatles sang about ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and these days you nearly can get strawberries throughout the entire year. However, May is the start of the natural season for strawberries. There is nothing like a strawberry, especially one locally grown, not only do they taste delicious, strawberries are low in fat, low in calories and full of healthy vitamins and antioxidants that mean they are a welcome addition to anyone’s diet.
With Vitamin C there is a ‘rule of thumb’ that says the more deeply coloured a fruit or vegetable the more vitamin C it contains; so it is no surprise that strawberries are packed full of Vitamin C. As Vitamin C is water soluble, it is lost the minute fruits or vegetables are sliced, chopped or cooked, so with strawberries all the preparation needed is to pick off the green leafy top and pop them in your mouth and so we get the maximum amount of Vitamin C possible.
As with all fruits, strawberries are full of soluble fibre, a more gentle fibre on your gut which is good to keep you ‘regular’. They contain no fat and a handful will only provide you with the same calories as half a biscuit – happy days! Research into the benefits of eating strawberries have linked them in the fight to lower risk of cancer, aging, inflammation and neurological disease.
So make sure you enjoy these little juicy delights this May and into the summer months to come.
For more information or for more information on diet and nutrition, please contact: The Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service, HSE Dublin-Mid Leinster Tel: (044 ) 9395518 or email [email protected].
