Wild Blueberries 101 + 30 Delicious Ways to Boost Your Health
Wild Blueberries are nutrition superstars! Learn about their health benefits, plus 30 delicious ways to incorporate them into your diet today!
If you follow my Instgram feed, you may have noticed a recent plethora of all things related to Maine, including lobster feasts, gorgeous green hiking spaces, sparkling lakes, and, fresh-picked-from-the-field blueberries.
Note: Wild Blueberries™ invited me, along with a fabulous group of fellow Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, to an all-expense paid trip to Bar Harbor Maine {near Acadia National Park. I was not compensated to write this post, and, as always, my opinions are 100% my own.
First, before I show you how you can boost your health 30 {delicious} ways with wild blueberries, let’s talk about their potential health benefits, because it’s a pretty incredible story to tell!
ONE | Wild Blueberries Contain 2X The Amount of Antioxidants & Fiber as Regular Blueberries
Talk about packing a potent nutritional punch! They’re also an excellent source of manganese {200 % of the daily value}, an important micronutrient for bone health.
TWO | Wild Blueberries Have Been Growing Naturally in Maine, Eastern Canada, & Quebec for Over 10,000 Years.
They’re a genetically diverse crop, giving them a delicious, and complex, sweet-tart taste!
THREE | You Can Eat Wild Blueberries all Year Long!
If you’re lucky to live in Maine or Eastern Canada, you can eat ’em straight from the barrens in July-August, but, the rest of us can buy them frozen, dried , or juiced all year long!
Bonus! When you buy them frozen at the grocery store, you can be assured all those nutrients are retained because they are picked and quick frozen right away at their peak of ripeness.
FOUR | Wild Blueberries are Good For Your Brain & More !
There’s emerging research on wild blueberries and brain health, including decreased brain inflammation, slower cognitive decline with aging, and improved memory and retention in children.
Side Note: If you’re interested in nutrients for brain health, check out my post on The MIND Diet~lots of great information!
Other potential health benefits include cancer prevention {i.e. breast, colon, esophageal, and intestinal}, cardiovascular health, and increased insulin sensitivity, better blood sugar control, and gut health.
Let’s Talk About All the Delicious Ways You Can Boost Your Health With Wild Blueberries!
No 1-3 | Wild Blueberry Smoothies
- Blueberry Orange Kale Smoothie {on The Spicy RD}
- Wild Blueberry, Coconut, and Ginger Smoothie from Avocado a Day Nutrition
- Blueberry Lime Smoothie Blend: 1 cup frozen Wild Blueberries + 1 small container Key Lime Pie Greek Yogurt + 1/4-1/2 cup dairy/non-dairy milk + Lime Zest
No 4-6 | In a Bowl, Ball, or Jar!
- Wild Blueberry Acai Smoothie Bowl {on The Spicy RD}
- Superfood Wild Blueberry Chia Pudding from Taste and See
- Raw Wild Blueberry Snack Balls from Food Confidence
No. 7-9 | In a Beverage
- Sparkling Wild Blueberry Lemonade from Hummusapien
- Spiced Wild Blueberry Cider from Wild Blueberries
- Wild Blueberry Mojitos from Cravings of a Lunatic
No. 10-12 | In a Salad
- Healthy Chopped Superfood Salad (above) at The Spicy RD
- Fennel Salad with Wild Blueberries from Wild Blueberries
- Wild Blueberry Quinoa Salad from Wyman’s of Maine
No. 13-15 | As a Snack
Happiness is raking wild blueberries fresh from the field in Maine! Can’t get to Maine {or Canada} in the summer to rake? Head to your nearest grocery store, and find them fresh AND equally nutritious in the freezer section, or try ’em dried in your favorite trail mix for a delicious treat. Oh, and don’t forget the dark chocolate! Duh!!!
- Hand picked fresh out of the field at harvest time (above) or…
- “Fresh” out of your freezer ANY TIME OF THE YEAR!
- DIY Trail Mix: Nuts + Seeds + Dried Wild Blueberries + Dark Chocolate = Yum!!!
No 16-18 | In a Muffin or a Scone
- Gluten-Free Wild Blueberry Streusel Muffins {above-sub fresh blueberries with frozen wild blueberries} on The Spicy RD.
- Gluten-free Wild Blueberry Scones from Healthy Aperture
- Gluten-Free Wild Blueberry Corn Muffins from Delish Knowledge
No 19-21 | In a Sauce
- Lemony Wild Blueberry Sauce from Meal Makeover Moms
- Wild Blueberry BBQ Sauce {and BBQ Ribs} from Eat Chic Chicago
- Wild Blueberry Ginger Syrup Coconut Oil + Frozen Wild Blueberries + Maple Syrup + Ground Ginger + Orange or Lemon Zest & Juice (Heat on stovetop until thickened)
No 22-24 | For Breakfast
- Warm Tropical Wild Blueberry Quinoa Breakfast Sundae (above) on The Spicy RD
- Wild Blueberry Cheesecake Bakes Oats from Craving Something Healthy
- Wild Blueberry Dutch Pancake from Cape Fear Nutrition {Sub all-purpose flour w/ GF flour for a gluten-free version}
No 25-27 | As a Frozen Treat
- Wild Blueberry Lemon-Thyme Granita from The Foodie Dietitian
- Wild Blueberry and Champagne Sorbet from Kumquat
- Wild Blueberry Vegan “Ice Cream” with Ginger & Lemon at Happiness in Health
No. 28-30 | “Out of the Box”
- Wild Blueberry Turkey Burgers at The Lean Green Bean
- Wild Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Pizza at Teaspoon of Spice
- Wild Blueberry and Kale Stuffed Chicken Breast from MJ & Hungryman
And before I go, perhaps these photos will entice you to take a trip of your own to Maine and Arcadia National Park. I for one, can’t wait to go back!
Great tips all around, and I love that smoothie bowl!
The pictures of your trip are beautiful!
Great recap post! Was such a fab trip and great to be with you!
I went to Arcadia National Park many years ago and still remember how beautiful it was – love all the blueberries. Thanks for all the ideas!
We love blueberries at our house! My daughter likes to take a bowl of frozen blueberries and pour milk on top of them for a snack. She says it tastes like smoothie or milkshake with whole berries and just love them. Wonderful post with a lot of great li ks. Thanks for sharing. Looks like you had a fabulous time in Maine.
Wild blueberries are a freezer staple in our house because they work so deliciously in smoothies and even added right to muffins without defrosting. Nice to have fresh inspiration for how to use them (and that trip looked amazing!)
Great post EA! I for one did not recognize how superior wild blueberries were to blueberries I pick up at Sprouts! I will have to be on the lookout for these.
I’m dying to try your ginger syrup- it sounds amazing! I want to remake my blueberry muffins with wild blueberries and really amp up that nutrition!
I have to say, never been to Maine- but maybe one day soon!
Thanks for sharing 😉
My husband’s favorite fruit is blueberries, and you’ve got enough tips and recipes here to keep me going for a bit!! Looks like you had an amazing trip, someday I’m going to make it to Maine!!
I hope you do make it to Maine one day Kim-you will love it!!!
I just bought 2 pints today…now I can try a few of these ideas!
Let me know what you make 🙂 Have fun in the kitchen Meri!!
We will be visiting Maine in October – past blueberry season, but I remember picking them as a kid. Nice post, packed with so many recipes and info.
Hi Liz~thanks so much! October will be such a beautiful time of year to visit. Most of my visits to see my family have been in the summer, but I was there once in the fall, and the colors were just incredible. I remember picking blueberries there too when I was 8 🙂 Have a wonderful trip!