How Many Calories in Strawberries?

Strawberries are shaped like hearts for a reason - they increase your HDL, lower your blood pressure, and helps guard you against cancer.

These red beauties - best paired with rhubarb and lots of sugar - are packed with vitamins, fiber, and very high levels of polyphenol antioxidants. They are sodium-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low-calorie.

Related - How Many Calories in a Banana?

Their antioxidant profile lands them in the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity. They are a great source of manganese and potassium.

One serving, about 8 strawberries, will give you more vitamin C than an orange.

This fiber-rich fruit has 103 distinct species and subspecies.

The peak season of strawberries is April through June, but you can pretty much get them year-round. If prices are too high for strawberries in the off-season, some flash-frozen strawberries work great.

Nutritional Information of Strawberries

A serving size of strawberries is 1 cup or 152 grams.

• Calories - 49
• Total Fat - 0.5 grams
• Cholesterol - 0 mg
• Sodium - 2 mg
• Potassium - 232.56 mg
• Carbohydrates - 11.7g
• Protein - 1 gram

What's up with the Carbs?

Strawberries are voluminous, so one whole cup of strawberries contains 3 grams of fiber which results in a lower net carb content.

Their glycemic index is only 40, which is low. The glycemic index is an indication of how fast and how much a food raises your blood sugar.

They also have a low glycemic load of 1.5, taking into account the serving size. This indicates that strawberries should have little effect on your blood glucose levels or insulin response.

Yes, There's a Little Fat in Strawberries

At less than half of a gram in a cup of berries, most of the fat is polyunsaturated, and a smaller percentage of monounsaturated. There is a very little amount of saturated fat.

A serving of strawberries will give you 99 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids, and 137 milligrams of omega-6 fatty acids.

Protein, Too

Many fruits aren't known for their protein content.

Balancing the carbohydrates with protein is easy by adding some yogurt. They are pretty good in some Greek yogurt.

The Micronutrient Profile Is Diverse

One cup of strawberries gives you more than enough vitamin C and also contains 9 percent of your daily recommended amount of folate. One cup will give you 29 percent of your daily recommended amount of manganese.

Potassium, iron, calcium, copper, and phosphorus are also in strawberries.

7 Reasons You Should Start Eating Strawberries Today

If you've made it to this part of the article, you should know a few things about strawberries by now.

Instead of listing the 99+ reasons strawberries should be on your grocery list, I picked out 7 that I think you should know.

#1 - They Are Chock-Full of Antioxidants

The antioxidant content of strawberries is outstanding. They are actually top-ranked in this category - outperforming spinach and broccoli.

Did you know?

The color of your fruits and veggies reflects the nutrients that it has.

Anthocyanins are the antioxidants that give strawberries that beautiful red color. Eating a serving of strawberries will affect you almost immediately - antioxidant levels in the body are significantly raised just 30 minutes after eating some sweet strawberries.

#2 - They Kill Inflammation

The antioxidants and phytochemicals in strawberries also help reduce inflammation.

Eating a serving of strawberries per day means less risk of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease.

#3 - They Fight Cancer

The ellagic acid in strawberries is a compound that has been shown to prevent certain types of cancer.

This includes skin, bladder, esophageal, lung, and breast cancer.

Ellagic acid and other antioxidant-rich flavonoids help the body neutralize some cancer-causing compounds and may also slow the spread of cancer cells.

#4 - They Make Your Heart Happy

The same things that help fight off cancer also help our blood lipids.

A single cup has 250 milligrams of potassium which is enough to improve your high blood pressure. Potassium is also important for strong bones.

#5 - They Are Great for Diabetics

Since strawberries have a pretty low glycemic impact, they are great for diabetics to get their sweet on.

In fact, strawberries don't spike blood sugar, and may actually help lower elevated sugar levels.

One research found that eating strawberries helped offset the blood glucose spike that the five to six teaspoons of sugar the participants ate.

I don't recommend eating strawberries to be able to eat more cake; I'm saying that maybe eating a serving before you eat the cake. This will fill you up and help mitigate the blood spike from the piece of cake that you almost finished.

#6 - They Help You Lose Weight

Strawberries are low in calories and nutritionally dense. Next time you reach for a bowl of ice cream, try strawberries instead.

The fiber from strawberries fills you up so it helps you eat fewer calories without feeling hungry.

#7 - They Will Help You Absorb More Iron

Vitamin C helps our bodies absorb iron.

Try adding strawberries to an iron-fortified breakfast cereal to maximize your iron absorption.