Are you planning to start a diet soon, and would you like to know how many strawberries are in a serving?
What is the recommended serving size of strawberries?
Know more about the ideal serving size of strawberries
Strawberries are universally loved. Though all Fruits form an essential component of our day to day life, experts suggest that fruits in any form, such as dried, fresh, or frozen, add to the food value. Strawberries supply essential components like vitamins and nutrients to the body, which are required to stay healthy. Mainly they are very high in vitamin C content.
According to the DIETARY GUIDELINES, an average adult male can have two to two and a half cups of strawberries per day & adult females can have one or a half cups per day.
But all fruits are not equal in shape and size, plus you cannot carry a measuring cup with you all the time to measure the fruit and their quantities; hence it becomes a bit difficult to calculate the fruit, cup wise. In this regard, we can guide you concerning the ideal number or serving size of strawberries.
Here serving size is taken into consideration, keeping the calorific value of the fruit in mind. According to “HARVARD HEALTH PUBLISHING,” strawberries are fruits that fall under the category of lower glycemic index, which means more minor in sugar content. Low sugar content fruits are good for health as they keep your blood sugar level more downside. These fruits are also high in antioxidants hence protect your cells from getting damaged. As per the article published in “Annals of Neurology,” strawberries are rich in flavonoids, which help reduce stress and eliminate toxins from the body. A single serving size of strawberries can give you less than 50 calories.
As strawberries have excellent food value, you can start your day with a few slices of strawberries for your breakfast. You can mix it with your milk and cornflakes, as it will add great flavour to your meal.
Nutritional benefits of strawberries
Strawberries are beautiful looking fruits with high food value. They are fragrant, sweet, and are rich in fibre, antioxidants, and vitamins. As they have lots of health benefits, their demand in the market is relatively high. For sustaining a healthy lifestyle, you have to include strawberries in your diet. From one cup of the serving size of strawberries, you can get the following nutritional benefits:
- Carbohydrate 11.7gm
- Fiber 3gm
- Sugar 7.4gm
- Calories 49 gm
- Fat 0.5gm
- Protein 1gm
- Sodium 1.5mg
Carbs
On average, a single cup worth serving size of the fruit is likely to contain approximately 11.7 grams of carbohydrate, including 3gm of fibre and 7.4gms of sugar.
Fats
The fat content in strawberries is shallow; you can say a cup contains half grams of fat. Polyunsaturated fatty acids form a significant content of fat. Hence it increases the food value to a high level.
Protein
A single serving of the fruit will offer only 1 gm of protein.
Vitamins & minerals
Strawberries loaded with minerals and vitamins; they are high in folate, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
Health benefits
“Stuffed” with antioxidants, strawberries are known to have substantial nutritional value. Some of the health benefits are as follows:
- High blood sugar can be prevented: Strawberries are low sugar fruits; they help in diabetes control. They are rich in fibres, which in turn help in stabilising the blood sugar level.
- Reduces Arthritis: Knee Osteoarthritis is a common problem for people in the United Kingdom hailing from the older age group. The inflammation caused by arthritis is excruciating; studies say that if you consume dried strawberries for 12 weeks, it is more likely to reduce the pain to some extent.
- Heals up a Wound: Typically, adults require 75 to 90 mg of Vitamin C per day. The optimal level of antioxidants is obtainable from strawberries. Vitamin C helps in the formation of collagen, which forms the structural component of our skin. As our body cannot produce vitamin C alone, it’s essential to double up the intake of strawberries. Vitamin C helps in the healing of wounds.
- Improves Heart Health: Regular consumption of strawberries helps in lowering triglycerides and cholesterol levels. Potassium and flavonoids, which form the critical content of strawberries, help in reducing the blood pressure level. The folate and vitamin C content are also very good for heart health. As strawberries have both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory functions, they improve your cardiovascular system.
- Risk of Colon Cancer can be reduced: The bowel disease in the human body increases the rate of colon cancer. If you consume too much animal fat and lower your veggie and fruit consumption, you are more likely to run at a risk of experiencing bowel disease. Studies say that such regular consumption of strawberries reduces the risk of colon cancer as it is high in fibre content.
Varieties of strawberries
There are three varieties of strawberries available in the market.
- Day-neutral variety: Day-neutral variety of strawberries produces fruit throughout the year; they can be grown in a small space too as a ground cover.
- June bearing variety: These types of strawberries are available during the springtime, for example, all-star, earlier, Seneca, Annapolis, jewel, etc.
- Everbearing variety: These strawberries produce fruits three times in the season, spring, summer& autumn. Few examples of the everbearing type are as follows, tristar, tribute, etc.
Choosing ideal strawberries
Strawberries are often referred to as seeds though the fruits bear a seed of their own. But they can be well-referred as dry fruits. Choose strawberries that are rich and red. Try to avoid the softer mushy berries, which might be fungus affected. You can avail of strawberries from supermarkets throughout the year, but you can only find the best and fresh ones during the spring and summer seasons. During these seasons, they farmed fresh. You can choose organic berries because any chemical fertilisers do not treat them; instead, they are grown naturally. You can also keep an eye on the frozen organic strawberries, which are at their ripest form if you desire extra sweetness.
How to store strawberries
If you have any damaged strawberry in your pocket, you need to first throw it off before storing the fruits, as the damaged fruit will further destroy other fruits. Store it in the vegetable crisper, which appears to be placed in the coldest part of the refrigerator. Use the airtight container so that it remains fresh for a long time. Try to use it within a week or so. Before having fresh strawberries, wash them properly under running water.
Different types of foods prepared with strawberries
You can make different types of dishes and salads with the help of strawberries. Sweet yoghurt is a costly and mouth-watering dessert item that you can make with strawberries. Even you can make cottage cheese with the help of the fruit. Also, you can try out hot and cold cereals by adding strawberries into them. You can also make “smoothies” with the help of strawberries by adding a few chia seeds to the mixture to get the taste and feel. Also, prepare a wide variety of salads by adding strawberries to the recipes. Baked strawberries become very delicious when they are dipped in chocolate sauce or caramel.
We all love strawberry cakes and pastries, don’t we? The demand for strawberry cakes and pastries go up during Christmas. You can even make strawberry jam and jellies. The strawberry jam and jellies have colossal market demand; especially, children love to have it as a primary spread for bread. Strawberries can be punched with other things such as black pepper, beets, bananas, and vanilla to make a sophisticated drink as per what the new generations demand.
Information regarding strawberry plant
Strawberries are considered perennial plants that grow almost throughout the year. Farmers should wait until the optimal time arrives as once the berries are picked from the plant, they cannot ripen any further.
Greenhouse farming of strawberry
The strawberries available in the grocery stores taste differently from those freshly grown in the greenhouse. Most strawberries are cultivated in an open field, but nowadays, greenhouse cultivation has become a trend, and strawberries well cultivated in these moderate to big enclosures. Greenhouse cultivation can bring you the right amount of money as you can cultivate strawberries in these galvanised enclosures where the temperature remains controlled throughout the year. The fruit can also be grown during off-seasons. A medium range of temperature is required for strawberry cultivation; the temperature can be well controlled in the greenhouse. The ideal temperature required for growing strawberry is 60°F. Dry and sandy soils are perfect for strawberry cultivation. Also, keep a proper eye on how it is being grown. Ensure that the soil doesn’t get waterlogged, as waterlogging creates an adverse situation for the plant.
How it is done
Purchase seedlings from well known and reputed nurseries; properly check that the fruits are disease-free. Buy a proper container to plant the strawberry shrubs; take copious amounts of sandy soil, and fill the container. You have to water the plants regularly; do not flood the plants with water as overwatering can damage them. Ensure there are several drainage holes so that the extra water can easily pass through. You can control the soil temperature by mulching it with straw.
The types of strawberry plants most suitable for cultivation
There are various types of strawberry plants that can be grown even in greenhouse set-ups. These majorly include:
- Honeoye
- Earliglow
- Allstar
- Ozark Beauty
- Chandler
- Jewel
- Seascape
- Tristar
- Sparkle
- Surecrop
- Fort Laramie
To ensure that you can grow the best grade strawberries in your greenhouse, make sure you follow the guidelines as mentioned below:
- Make sure the plants hail from a certified as well as virus-free stock.
- Water adequately while keeping the leaves dry
- Allow in more exposure to sunlight. Sunny locations are most favourable
- Make sure the earth is fertile and also well-drained
- Give the plants enough space to grow well
- Mulching is primary
Strawberries grow best in cooler climates. They thrive best in months such as March and April.
Flavours of strawberries
If you are wondering what’s best to grow the most flavourful strawberries, here is what you should know; macerate them. The sweetest strawberries are derived when you can toss or sprinkle tiny portions of sugar on the fruits. Not only the juicy fruits turn flavourful, but they are sweetened as well.
Is ground coffee good for strawberry growth?
Ground coffee is a treat for strawberry plants. Since coffee grounds are acidic by nature, they tend to add to the health of strawberry plants. Strawberry plants love a touch of acidity, so as you add coffee grounds to the earth, they immediately absorb the nutrients and start growing healthier.
How can you increase your strawberry yield?
A common way of increasing the yield is by adding compost or manure to the soil. As you try to plant, these shrubs use plenty of organic fertilisers. Make sure you are watering the plant as often as you can so that they thrive. According to experts, it has been found that fertilisers containing maximum potassium content and lesser amounts of nitrogen are best suited for strawberry UK plantation. Pinch off the flowers appearing on freshly planted strawberries. You are likely to witness steady growth in strawberry plants if you add a little more natural potassium in the form of eggshells.