Blackberries – superfood and super fun
Blackberries aren’t just good for you because of what is in them. To pick them in the wild means a nice little bit of exercise and a great deal of well-being.
Foraging with the family
Blackberry picking has been a family favourite activity for many years. For the first time this year I took my son and he loved it. It didn’t take long before he became quite a connoisseur as to which were the best berries to pick! It always amazes me how many of nature’s juicy berries can be found just in the brambles on a country walk.
Blackberries the ‘superfood’
Blackberries are often referred to as a superfood. Foraging this juicy berry this week got me wondering what gives its reputation as a superfood?
These deep purple berries are in fact packed with nutrition. Blackberries are said to contain antioxidants, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin K.
According to bbcgoodfood.com just 10 blackberries count towards one of your five a day. Containing Vitamin K blackberries are also good for bone health. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that makes proteins for healthy bones and normal blood clotting (wellandgood.com).
Strong bones
Exercise helps to make both muscles and bones stronger. Weight bearing and resistance exercises help to make our bones stronger, building this strength wen we are younger and maintaining it when we are older. Pilates, as a form of exercise, is beneficial in helping to maintain bone strength and improving muscle strength and balance. Therefore, aiming to keep our muscles and bones healthy from the outside in but it seems there is lots goodness packed in these berries that can help from the inside out!
Contributing to wellbeing
Although we know that these juicy berries have lots of goodness one of the best things for me was the enjoyment of getting outside and picking them. Going back to nature and getting out in the fresh air is important for our wellbeing. Seeing the excitement in my son when we found a perfect bramble bush was part of the joy of the day.
…You may not get the same sense of wellbeing buying blackberries in a shop 😉
How do you eat yours?
Once we had picked a pot full of berries we then had to decide what to do with them. There are lots of ways we can enjoy these juicy berries. They can be enjoyed fresh or cooked. According to bbcgoodfood.com there is no specific evidence to say if they are better cooked or eaten fresh, but cooking does appear to reduce the antioxidant status. I decided on an apple and blackberry crumble, yum!
If you have been out foraging these tasty berries let me know what you decided to make in the comments below.
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4 COMMENTS
Can’t beat a blackberry and apple crumble! I’ve open frozen my huge haul of berries so I can put a scoop in with the apples (my trees have been very prolific this year) before topping with crumble. I like to add oats to my mix. Yum indeed!
Haha, thanks Anne. Yes, our crumble didn’t last very long!
Simmered with a little honey & water for a few minutes until they break down, they make a lovely topping for Greek yogurt & homemade granola for breakfast.
Really enjoying the weekly new classes Vicky & am following one of the videos nearly every day now, it is now part of my daily routine.
Thanks for your comment Roz. So glad you’re getting on well with the classes. (And thanks for the blackberry tip. Yum!)