Need a Snack? Join the Trend and Reach for Blueberries

Blueberries are a great snack, and it seems the nation agrees. A recent feature in The Snack magazine put the blueberry at the head of the pack, labelling them as the berries most preferred by consumers. There are many good reasons for blueberries to rank as the country’s favorite berry, even when up against other foodie favorites like strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Explore the blueberry’s stats when it comes to its place as a berry heavyweight, as well as some other statistics about our country’s love affair with the little blue dynamo, the blueberry!

Blueberries’ Advantages in Snacking

Blueberries have a lot of advantages that make them the perfect snack or recipe ingredient, and these advantages can surely take the credit for making blueberries the favorite berry of consumers. Blueberry benefits include:

  • -Healthfulness. Blueberries are so healthy they have true “super fruit” status. Rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, studies have found them to fight everything from cancer and heart disease to Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
  • -Low in Calories. A cup of fresh blueberries offers a mere 80 to 85 calories, no cholesterol, and a good dose of fiber. They are a great snack choice, even without all the health-boosting antioxidants and vitamins.
  • -Easy to Enjoy. The blueberry is a perfect package. You just pop ‘em in your mouth and enjoy ‘em. There’s no stem or peel or pit to deal with.
  • -Very Transportable. Blueberries travel well, so they are a good snack to take on-the-go, as long as you keep them from being crushed.
  • -Versatile. Blueberries go with everything, so they are great raw, baked, as a garnish, grilled, and more! They are as good in breakfast dishes as they are in desserts.

Favored Berry Status Details

The blueberry is America’s favorite berry, and with good reason! They’re delicious, nutritious, and can be added to just about any dish. The Snack’s resource for their blueberry claim comes from data sourced from Information Resources, Inc, or IRI, an American market research company. Here are some other points of data from the IRI’s and others’ research concerning America’s love affair with the blueberry:

  • -Blueberries saw $1.6 billion in retail sales in 2016.
  • -Retail sales increased 10.6 percent from 2020 to 2016.
  • -Frozen blueberries were the 2nd leading frozen fruit in dollar sales in 2016.
  • -Consumers want the little blue dynamos and will take no substitute; 25 percent of consumers will buy frozen if fresh aren’t available.
  • -The blueberry is the only ‘top fruit’ that is expected to see increased consumption in 2017.

Get your ‘blueberry on’ with fun and flavorful blueberry recipes from the many recipes on BlueberriesFromFlorida.com or the numerous Blueberries from Florida Pinterest recipe boards!

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