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It seems that everywhere we turn these days there is some different food with marketers telling us that eating it is the new secret to a long and healthy life. There was pomegranate juice a few years ago. Everyone jumped on it until they realized how many calories they had to consume in order to reap its anti-oxidant potential. Now there is the Brazilian açaí berry, along with a whole bunch of other (mostly) expensive and funny sounding fruits such as Goji berries and the acerola cherry. These are all supposed to help us live cancer-free to a ripe old age.
But before we started going to Whole Foods to stock up on theses super fruits, contained in everything from teas to bath products, there was the original fruit itself. And though in the United States we may not have ready access to actual açaí berry or goji berry, we have a ready supply of one of the greatest super fruits, the blueberry.
Blueberries have not always enjoyed plentiful crops in the United States. Relatives of the modern, commercial blueberry have been gathered by native people across the North American continent for thousands of years. But the blueberry as we know it today was only developed about a century ago in New Jersey. That commercial variety, the northern highbush, needs a cold winter climate and acidic soil in order to grow, resulting in thriving blueberries in places such as Michigan and Oregon.
In the mid-fifties, a cross breed was developed called the southern highbush, a variety that could tolerate warmer climates. California production of the crop has soared over the last decade, and the sudden glut of supply has brought the price of this wonder fruit down, making it more affordable to the everyday person looking for a good healthy, and tasty, dose of anti-oxidants.
Blueberries have long been known to be a good source of nutrition. Each one cup serving has only 84 calories and packs a good punch of potassium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C. In 2007 the National Institute of Aging developed a method of measuring the anti-oxidant levels of different foods that they published in a chart commonly known as ORAC (oxygen radical absorbency capacity). The idea is that foods with high ORAC ratings are able to fight free-radicals, the elements that lead to aging and could potentially cause cancer. Blueberries came out near the very top of this list of potential cancer fighting foods. And their popularity has soared ever since.
Aside from throwing blueberries in muffins or on your cereal in the morning, getting a cup of these good-for-you fruits into your daily routine in a healthy way can seem challenging. A homemade smoothie using frozen blueberries (a great, inexpensive way to use blueberries when they are not in season), low-fat yogurt or silken tofu, some juice, and maybe some other anti-oxidant rich berries such as blackberries and raspberries, is a good way to get the day off to a healthy start.
For lunch, try making a chicken salad or smoked turkey salad with nuts and blueberries mixed in a light mayonnaise and lemon dressing. Make entrée salads with goat cheese and blueberries, or try a salmon, blueberry and slivered almond salad for a dish ultra-rich in heart healthy, anti-aging nutrients.
For dinner, blueberries are always a good compliment for rich meats and wild game. Try making a blueberry sauce with fresh blueberries, red wine vinegar, and shallots sautéed in butter for a tangy and sweet compliment to the rich taste of Cornish game hens or sliced duck breast.
The dessert options are nearly endless but most turn what should be healthy fruit into a calorie-packed gut buster. For a refreshing alternative perfect for a hot summer day, make your own frozen fruit pops. In a skillet, simmer frozen blueberries with a bit of orange, lemon, or lime juice and some sugar for about 10 minutes until the berries burst and release their juices. Blend the mixture until smooth. Transfer the blueberry puree into Popsicle molds or just pour into paper cups and freeze for an easy adult and kid friendly frozen treat.
Staying healthy and eating well does not have to be a bland or expensive venture. Whereas there are many, often pricey foods out there toting their ability to fight aging, the common blueberry is just as super as any of those harder to pronounce super fruits, with a price tag that is a bit easier on the budget. To work the blueberry into your daily routine, think outside the muffin by whipping them into refreshing drinks, tossing them into savory salads, and maybe even freezing them into a healthy dessert to finish it off.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/924-super-fruits/
Getting the Blues for Super Fruits
It seems that everywhere we turn these days there is some different food with marketers telling us that eating it is the new secret to a long and healthy life. There was pomegranate juice a few years ago. Everyone jumped on it until they realized how many calories they had to consume in order to reap its anti-oxidant potential. Now there is the Brazilian açaí berry, along with a whole bunch of other (mostly) expensive and funny sounding fruits such as Goji berries and the acerola cherry. These are all supposed to help us live cancer-free to a ripe old age.
But before we started going to Whole Foods to stock up on theses super fruits, contained in everything from teas to bath products, there was the original fruit itself. And though in the United States we may not have ready access to actual açaí berry or goji berry, we have a ready supply of one of the greatest super fruits, the blueberry.
Blueberries have not always enjoyed plentiful crops in the United States. Relatives of the modern, commercial blueberry have been gathered by native people across the North American continent for thousands of years. But the blueberry as we know it today was only developed about a century ago in New Jersey. That commercial variety, the northern highbush, needs a cold winter climate and acidic soil in order to grow, resulting in thriving blueberries in places such as Michigan and Oregon.
In the mid-fifties, a cross breed was developed called the southern highbush, a variety that could tolerate warmer climates. California production of the crop has soared over the last decade, and the sudden glut of supply has brought the price of this wonder fruit down, making it more affordable to the everyday person looking for a good healthy, and tasty, dose of anti-oxidants.
Blueberries have long been known to be a good source of nutrition. Each one cup serving has only 84 calories and packs a good punch of potassium, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C. In 2007 the National Institute of Aging developed a method of measuring the anti-oxidant levels of different foods that they published in a chart commonly known as ORAC (oxygen radical absorbency capacity). The idea is that foods with high ORAC ratings are able to fight free-radicals, the elements that lead to aging and could potentially cause cancer. Blueberries came out near the very top of this list of potential cancer fighting foods. And their popularity has soared ever since.
Aside from throwing blueberries in muffins or on your cereal in the morning, getting a cup of these good-for-you fruits into your daily routine in a healthy way can seem challenging. A homemade smoothie using frozen blueberries (a great, inexpensive way to use blueberries when they are not in season), low-fat yogurt or silken tofu, some juice, and maybe some other anti-oxidant rich berries such as blackberries and raspberries, is a good way to get the day off to a healthy start.
For lunch, try making a chicken salad or smoked turkey salad with nuts and blueberries mixed in a light mayonnaise and lemon dressing. Make entrée salads with goat cheese and blueberries, or try a salmon, blueberry and slivered almond salad for a dish ultra-rich in heart healthy, anti-aging nutrients.
For dinner, blueberries are always a good compliment for rich meats and wild game. Try making a blueberry sauce with fresh blueberries, red wine vinegar, and shallots sautéed in butter for a tangy and sweet compliment to the rich taste of Cornish game hens or sliced duck breast.
The dessert options are nearly endless but most turn what should be healthy fruit into a calorie-packed gut buster. For a refreshing alternative perfect for a hot summer day, make your own frozen fruit pops. In a skillet, simmer frozen blueberries with a bit of orange, lemon, or lime juice and some sugar for about 10 minutes until the berries burst and release their juices. Blend the mixture until smooth. Transfer the blueberry puree into Popsicle molds or just pour into paper cups and freeze for an easy adult and kid friendly frozen treat.
Staying healthy and eating well does not have to be a bland or expensive venture. Whereas there are many, often pricey foods out there toting their ability to fight aging, the common blueberry is just as super as any of those harder to pronounce super fruits, with a price tag that is a bit easier on the budget. To work the blueberry into your daily routine, think outside the muffin by whipping them into refreshing drinks, tossing them into savory salads, and maybe even freezing them into a healthy dessert to finish it off.
Blueberry Raspberry Smoothie
Made with ice, orange juice, frozen blueberries, frozen raspberries, banana, yogurt
Made with ice, orange juice, frozen blueberries, frozen raspberries, banana, yogurt
Serves/Makes: 1
- 1 cup frozen blueberries, unthawed
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, unthawed
- 1/2 ripe banana
- 1/2 cup vanilla or plain low fat yogurt
- 2/3 cup orange juice
- 1 cup crushed ice
Combine the blueberries, raspberries, and banana in a blender. Pulse process until they are crumbly.
Add the yogurt, orange juice, and ice. Process until smooth. Add additional orange juice or ice as needed for desired consistency.
Serve immediately.
Cook's Notes: Can use all blueberries instead of the blueberry-raspberry combo if desired.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/924-super-fruits/