Strawberries: Small Food, Big Benefits
A Bite-Size Read for Your Health and Waistline
I often hear people’s favorite fun fact about strawberries is they’re the only fruit with seeds on the outside. Here’s a new one for you: Strawberries, technically aren’t a fruit or a berry; they are flowers in the rose family. And the part we eat? It’s the enlarged receptacle of the flower. Surprising, right? I learned this and it got me thinking…what else might we not know about this summer favorite?
Strawberries were first cultivated in Rome, Italy, but the French viewed them as an aphrodisiac, which might explain why we often pair strawberries with champagne. Their aphrodisiac reputation is linked to their nutrient content, and they are also symbolically connected to the Greek goddess Venus.
Besides the potentially aphrodisiac quality, are there other benefits to strawberries? Absolutely! Let’s look at their nutritional profile first. In half a cup of strawberries, you’ll find 32 calories, 0.7g of protein, 7.7g of carbs (including 4.9g of sugar and 2g of fiber), and 0.3g of fat. So, strawberries are quite nutritious! They are mostly water (about 91%) with less than 8% carbohydrates. With 2g of fiber in just half a cup, they are a decent source of fiber. For those concerned about sugar content and blood sugar balance, remember that the sugar in strawberries is naturally…
