Fresh berries are abundant this time of year. They are sweet, healthy, and affordable. What’s not to love about these superfoods? We enjoy eating chilled berries straight out of the fridge, but there are many fun ways to incorporate them into your meals. Here are a few ideas.
1. Berry Yogurt. Instead of buying flavored yogurts with too much added sugar, mash some berries with a fork and mix them into plain yogurt. the liquids will mix with the yogurt and create colorful swirls that taste great. If you are used to the sweet taste of industrial fruit yogurt, you can add a bit of honey or sugar to reduce the tartness.
2. Most yogurt coated snack bars are far from healthy as a Big Mac, using trans-fatty oils and yogurt powder. This home-made recipe for Blueberry Vanilla Greek Yogurt actually uses … Greek yogurt.
http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/blueberry-vanilla-greek-yogurt-granola-bars/
4. Here’s another superfood combination: kale and strawberries are topped with a crunchy crouton mix to create Strawberry Kale Salad with Nutty Granola Croutons. The “croutons” are made from oats, nuts, and seeds. Yum!
http://cookieandkate.com/2014/strawberry-kale-salad-with-nutty-granola-croutons/
5. Last but not least, this is a not-as-decadent-as-it-seems dessert that we couldn’t resist adding to the mix: Balsamic Roasted Strawberries with Coconut Cream. It takes only 15 minutes to prepare, and the flavor pairing is divine.
http://www.amuse-your-bouche.com/balsamic-roasted-strawberries-coconut-cream/
(photos: twopeasandtheirpod.com, halfbakedharvest.com, cookieandkate.com, amuse-your-bouche.com)