Expertadvice

Strawberries conjure up images of picnics and Wimbledon, yet they are also fabulous for beauty and well being. And with a low POINTS value too, they’re the perfect all-rounder.

Berrynice
Some fruit names have been hijacked for popular sayings and they are not always as sunny as the food group deserves! We blow raspberries at things we do not like, have a face a face that looks like we have sucked a lemon to describe disapproval: and the good old banana skin has been slipping us up in cartoons for years! Yet with the humble strawberry. All the associations are good ones. For lovers, it is the perfect complement for champagne and it is the one berry associated with beauty. A healthy outdoor glow on white skin is known as a strawberry and cream complexion and golden hair is often referred to a strawberry blonde.

Temptingly Tasty
When we think of strawberries we also think of indulgent puddings, tarts, fruit sundaes and pavlova..With or without cream and sugar they are a real treat, and everyone needs a few of those! That is why Weight Watchers have launched its Strawberries and Cream flavour fruit drops, sugar- free sweets with sweeteners. Priced at just £1 per bag these are a fraction of the cost of a punnet of strawberries on Centre Court at Wimbledon and have a points value of 1.5 per bag so they’re great for anyone following Time to Eat and keen to get into those tennis shorts this summer. Weight Watchers Strawberry & Cream flavour fruit drops will be available for a limited period, from early June, by mail order or at meetings.

Feeling fruity
What we don’t necessarily associate with strawberries are all the nutritional benefits that come from including a generous handful in our daily five portions of fruit and veg. They’re fat and cholesterol free, which is great news for anyone wanting to enjoy a healthy diet. They also contain more vitamin C per calorie than any other fruit, which helps boost the immune system; folic acid, a B vitamin important for helping to prevent birth defects in babies and easing depression whilst boosting memory and concentration; and lots of fibre to keep your digestive system flushed and working to its optimum

The founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition Patrick Holford, recently conducted a survey on behalf of British Summer Fruits to illustrate why he believes strawberries (along with raspberries) are one of the ‘superfruits of the century’. The high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants, the four cancer-fighting nutrients, including quercetin, and the low glycaemic index (the rate at which food raises your blood sugar level) are just some of the factors that make them juicy miracles!

“Strawberries are as close as you can get to the perfect fruit,” says Patrick”. Other fruits may contain certain essential nutrients but these berries are unique in their combination of nutrients. They contain 10 each, five of which are not even found in any multi-vitamin pill.

July 2004