Summertime + Strawberries= Serendipitous!

Summer has always brought warmth and sweetness. A sweetness that matches Baked Smart Cookie’s one-of-a-kind healthy treats.

What makes our cookies so delicious is the combination of the sweet fruits (and vegetables) that go into making a single cookie. One of the key ingredients we are proud to include is strawberries.

Let's go over some facts and benefits of strawberries and how you can enjoy their savory taste this summer.

What are strawberries really???

Most of us believe we know what strawberries are — a fruit.

But did you know that strawberries are not actually considered berries, let alone a fruit?

Strawberries are actually part of the rose family and is a swollen receptacle tissue that is part of the plant that is connected to the stem. Once a strawberry stem is pollinated, it triggers the receptacle tissue of the plant to grow and transform.

On another note, strawberries carry high levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols and are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity, offering numerous health benefits.

Benefits and Power of Vitamin C in Strawberries

1. Ample Amount of Vitamin C

When we think of vitamin C, the first type of fruit that comes to mind is oranges. While oranges do provide plenty of vitamin C, strawberries provide more vitamin C in one serving (about 8 ) strawberries. In just one serving, you are able to hit 100 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement.

One of the reasons we must focus on getting our daily vitamin C intake is because our bodies cannot create the vitamin on their own.

2. Aids to Maintain Healthy Vision

When you have growing children, protecting their vision is important. Providing your children with a nutrient-rich diet will support their health, and one of the ways you can ensure this is by incorporating strawberries into their diet.

The high level of antioxidants may help to prevent cataracts, which is a clouding over the lens of the eye that can lead to blindness with age. Our eyes can benefit from and need the vitamin C found in strawberries as it protects our eyes from exposure to the free radicals found in UV rays.

Additionally, vitamin C can strengthen the eye’s cornea and retina.

3. Gives You an Immunity Boost

Since children have not been able to go to school physically and play with friends for the past year, flu and common cold cases have decreased due to limited contact, which is a positive.

Even though cases have gone down, you don’t want to let your guard down. It is still important for you to help your children develop a strong immune system. Strawberries can definitely help you in this area as they are known to help fight the common cold and cough.