Both fresh and frozen fruit are great additions to your diet. Berries, in particular, are loaded with essential nutrients that can aid in weight loss. This article explores the benefits of frozen berries for weight loss, their nutritional value, and how to incorporate them into a balanced diet.
The Nutritional Powerhouse of Berries
Berries are often labeled as "superfoods" due to their impressive nutrient profiles. They are low in calories and incredibly good for you. These tiny fruits are not only low in calories but also rich in fiber, antioxidants, and essential nutrients to support a healthy body (and a healthy weight).
Here's a closer look at some popular types of berries and their nutritional benefits:
- Strawberries: One cup of strawberries provides more than your daily recommended vitamin C intake. These delicious berries are packed full of nutrients - not just vitamin C, but manganese, folate, magnesium, potassium, and plenty of antioxidants to protect against inflammation and skin damage.
- Blueberries: Just like strawberries, blueberries are loaded with antioxidants, particularly flavonoids, and research suggests that a flavonoid-rich diet can reduce your risk of several health conditions. Blueberries also provide you with a good dose of vitamins C and K, as well as manganese and potassium.
- Raspberries: Raspberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, and antioxidants. They're particularly rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, but also provide a good amount of manganese, vitamins E and K1, and copper.
- Cranberries: Most of us know cranberry as a natural remedy against UTIs, but these mighty berries also support heart health and may help prevent ulcers.
- Acai Berries: Acai berries are touted as a superfood and for good reason. They're believed to have more antioxidant content than all the other berries listed in this article, and boast 3 times more antioxidants than blueberries.
Fresh vs. Frozen: Preserving the Goodness
When it comes to fruit, nutrients are at their peak right after being picked. Because fruit is frozen quickly, it retains nutritional value. Depending on the fruit, some may retain more nutrients frozen while others are better fresh. If your fresh fruit is truly fresh, the nutrient value may be similar. If your fresh fruit was shipped and sat on store shelves for a while, it may contain fewer nutrients.
The good news is that freezing berries does not significantly affect their nutrient content. Frozen berries retain most of their nutritional content, and in some cases, they may even contain more nutrients than their fresh counterparts.
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Benefits of Frozen Berries
- Convenience: Frozen berries are pre-washed and ready to use, making them a quick and easy option for busy individuals. Frozen fruit is also beneficial because it is already prepped for you. It usually comes cleaned and presliced for your convenience. This may save you time when making dishes that contain fruit.
- Economical: Frozen berries can be more affordable than their fresh especially when they're out of season. You no longer have to wait for the summer months to enjoy fresh berries. With frozen fruit, you can take out as many pieces as you need and leave the rest for next time.
- Year-Round Availability: If fruits you love to include in these dishes are out of season, they may still be available frozen.
- Reduced Waste: Frozen fruit often lasts several months and may be more economical than buying fresh fruit that goes bad quicker.
Considerations for Choosing Frozen Berries
- Added Sugars: Choose frozen fruit without added sugars. Some brands may add sugar or preservatives to their frozen berries.
- Texture: Freezing may impact the texture of your fruit when it thaws, but fresh fruit retains its natural texture better. This change in texture however does not affect their suitability for use.
How Berries Aid Weight Loss
Berries can certainly help with weight loss for three main reasons:
- High Fiber Content: Berries are high in fiber, a type of carbohydrate known to support weight loss. Fibre slows down digestion and takes up more space in your stomach compared to other nutrients, which helps you to stay fuller for longer and prevents you from overeating or snacking between meals. This makes it easier to stick to your calorie deficit. Fibre also stabilises your blood sugar levels and reduces the severity or frequency of energy crashes, making it less likely that you'll reach for high-sugar, higher-calorie foods to snack on. Lastly, a high-fibre diet promotes regular bowel movements and supports digestive health, resulting in better nutrient absorption, reduced bloating, and improved metabolism.
- High Water Content and Low Calories: Berries have high water content; raspberries are 85% water, blueberries 84%, and strawberries a whopping 92%. This means that berries help you feel satiated for longer while consuming fewer calories - which is why they're a staple in so many calorie-deficit diets. On top of this, water-rich foods help you feel hydrated, which can promote weight loss by increasing energy expenditure - which is the number of calories you burn at rest.
- Low Glycemic Index: Berries have a low glycemic index (GI), meaning they release energy slowly, causing a lower and slower spike in blood sugar levels, keeping your glucose levels stable, and preventing cravings. This helps reduce the risk of insulin spikes (which could otherwise lead to fat storage) and supports steady energy levels throughout the day. And, stable glucose levels contribute to a better mood and can help prevent emotional eating.
Berries and Fat Burning: What Does the Science Say?
Let us start by saying that no one food can make you lose fat - whether that is leg, arm, face or belly fat - and relying on berries alone to melt away body fat magically is simply not realistic (or effective).
Having said that, berries can be a great addition to a weight-loss diet for all the reasons listed above.
Interestingly, a recent study suggests that consuming 1 cup of wild blueberries a day for 2 weeks can accelerate fat-burning during moderate-intensity exercise. However, this study was done on 11 aerobically trained males, so the results may not apply to everyone.
Other research has found that berry extracts can reduce the size of fat cells. They do so by giving stubborn white fat cells properties similar to brown fat, which is metabolically active and helps burn calories (instead of storing them).
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Incorporating Frozen Berries into Your Diet
There are countless ways to include frozen berries in your diet. Here are a few ideas:
- Smoothies: Add frozen berries to smoothies, protein shakes, yogurt bowls, oatmeal, salads, and low-calorie baked goods. Blend fresh or frozen berries with your milk of choice, protein powder (like our Nourish Shakes), and spinach for a high-protein, super-filling smoothie. Another delicious idea is to make a smoothie bowl by combining frozen berries, frozen banana, a splash of milk and a drop of vanilla extract, and top it off with nuts and a drizzle of honey.
- Yogurt and Oatmeal: Similarly, frozen fruit is great for adding to yogurt and smoothies. Just grab a handful of strawberry slices, for example, and toss them into your bowl of yogurt or your blender and enjoy your snack. Frozen berries on Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey make for a great high-protein snack or breakfast. A berry parfait is another delicious option and you can add some granola as well (just make sure it's not too high in calories or sugar!)
- Baked Goods: Add a touch of natural sweetness to your pancakes or muffins by mixing berries into the batter. We also like to use protein powder in baked treats to make them extra satiating without sacrificing flavour.
- Acai Bowl: Blend frozen acai pulp with banana and a splash of milk, and top it off with low-calorie granola, nuts or seeds, a drizzle of honey, and fresh fruits (strawberries and kiwi are both excellent options).
- Flavoured water: Bored of plain water? Infuse it with a mix of fresh berries for a sweet, refreshing drink.
- In salads: Strawberries pair perfectly with rocket, feta cheese, and a balsamic dressing. Blueberries are another great addition to salads, and so are cranberries for a touch of tartness.
Other Weight Loss-Friendly Fruits
Let us start by debunking a common myth. Some believe that because fruit contains natural sugar, it shouldn't be part of a weight loss meal plan - but that's not necessarily true.
Yes, they are naturally sweet, but there are plenty of low-calorie fruits you can include in a healthy diet that will provide you with an array of vitamins and minerals, as well as support weight loss in a healthy, sustainable way:
- Papaya: 32 calories per 100 g
- Pineapple: 36 calories per 100 g
- Peaches: 39 calories per serving
- Oranges: 41 calories per serving
- Kiwi: 44 calories per serving
- Cherries: 44 calories per serving
- Watermelon: 45-60 calories per 1 cup
- Plums: 46 calories per 100 g
- Mango: 56 calories per 100 g
- Grapes: 65 calories per 100 g
- Lychee: 66 calories per 100 g
- Apples: 72 calories per serving
- Pomegranate: 83 calories per 100 g
- Passionfruit: 97 calories per 100 g
- Pears: 100 calories per serving
- Dragon fruit: 102 calories per serving
- Grapefruit: 104 calories per serving
Safety Considerations
The benefits of fruit outweigh the risks, but that doesn’t mean risks don’t exist. For starters, some fruit contains a lot of sugar, which may be dangerous for people with a diabetes diagnosis. They may also contain harmful germs such as Salmonella and E. coli from fresh produce not being cleaned properly before it's eaten.
The safest way to eat produce is by cooking it to kill germs, but most of the time fruit is not cooked before being eaten. Instead, you should be sure to wash your produce well before eating it. Scrub the skin and ensure that individual pieces are all rinsed thoroughly. You can rinse your produce when you bring it home from the store or wait to rinse it in individual portions when you're ready to use it.
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Other ways to reduce your risk for foodborne illnesses include:
- Choosing fruit that isn’t bruised or damaged
- Refrigerating fruit that you purchase precut or fruit that you slice and store at home, because this reduces bacteria growth
- Keeping your fruit separate from other items such as veggies, meat, and dairy in your shopping cart
- Cleaning all of your food preparation surfaces to ensure you don’t transfer bacteria to or from the fruit
- Using running water to clean your fruit and wash away bacteria
- Not using disinfectant soap or bleach on your produce
- Drying your fruit off with a paper towel or clean dish towel immediately after washing
- Cutting off any damaged or bruised parts of your fruit before eating it
Keep in mind that some people are naturally at a higher risk for suffering from foodborne illnesses.
The Broader Benefits of Fruit Consumption
If you eat a lot of vegetables and fruits, you benefit from such effects as:
- Lowering your blood pressure
- Reducing your risk for heart disease or stroke
- Preventing some kinds of cancer
- Lowering your risk for eye and digestive problems
- Improving your blood sugar levels
- Aiding in weight management or weight loss