In the berry world, blackberries are often under-appreciated. They don’t have the superfood status of blueberries and aren’t as ubiquitous as strawberries. Frankly, it can be a bit too easy to forget about these small, dark-hued, slightly tart fruits.
But perhaps we should take a page from English folklore, which said that passing under a blackberry or bramble branch could heal all manner of ailments. We might not give the berries quite that much credit, but they definitely have plenty going for them in the nutrition department including lots of vitamin C, a good percentage of your recommended daily fibre intake, and heart-healthy antioxidants.
And of course, they’re also delicious. Blackberries are great eaten on their own but they can be enjoyed so many ways: as part of a snack mix, sprinkled with just a little sugar or honey, added to cereal or oatmeal, on top of a salad, made into jam, or baked into a pie.
“You can really do anything with them: bake them into muffins, blend them into smoothies, eat them in salads, make chia jam with them, serve them on toasts with blue cheese and proscuitto for a fabulous appetizer,” says Abby Langer, a registered dietitian. They also freeze well, Langer says, which makes them easy to enjoy year round.
Those are just a few of the ways this fruit tastes great, which means it’s easy to add them to your diet — and here are 11 reasons why you should do just that.