Birds chirping, sun shining, fresh breezes. This can only mean one thing, Spring is here! Now that April showers have passed, the May flowers can bloom, along with the strawberry fields! Did you know that May is National Strawberry Month? This succulent fruit comes with a powerful punch of vitamins and minerals, not to mention its sweet flavor. Although they are sweet, they do not contain many calories and are great to throw into any smoothie, salad or dessert!
Strawberries are packed with Vitamin C, manganese, fiber, folate and even potassium! About 1 cup of strawberries contains only 7 grams of sugar, as compared to a cookie which could contain about 12 grams! A common myth about fruits, especially strawberries, is that since they contain sugar we should not eat them. That is not the case. The sugar in strawberries is paired with fiber making it easily digestible, unlike cookies which can easily be turned into fat.
Want to know some fun facts?
- Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the Spring.
- They are grown mostly in California, but can be found growing in every state.
- They are considered a member of the rose family.
- It is the only fruit with seeds on the outside.
So go ahead and pick some fresh strawberries this month, enjoy!
Linda Altenburger, Senior Nutritionist, SNAP-Ed