- Health Benefits of Cherries
- Fresh Cherries versus Frozen Cherries
- Cherry Carbs
- Are Cherries Fattening?
- Smoothie Making 101
- Cherry Smoothie Recipe
- References
This cherry smoothie is a refreshing way to start your summer day with the perfect blend of tart and sweet. The combination of nutrient dense cherries with protein filled Greek yogurt, fiber rich chia seeds and lime juice create a satisfying and flavorful meal!
Health Benefits of Cherries
Research has shown that cherries are…
- High in antioxidants, one particular antioxidant found in cherries, known as anthocyanin, gives it the deep red color and is beneficial for heart health.
- A good source of potassium, consuming adequate amounts of potassium has been shown to help control blood pressure.
- Rich in polyphenols and vitamin C, both of which help reduce inflammation.
- A source of melatonin, which may help you sleep better. Keep in mind, more research is needed, but when combined with other lifestyle measures to promote sleep, eating cherries on a regular basis could help with jet lag and better sleep.
- In a review of the research (2), it was found that eating cherries daily can:
- Decrease markers for oxidative stress
- Lower inflammation
- Reduce exercise-induced muscle soreness
- Decrease blood pressure
- Reduce arthritis pain
- Improve sleep
- In women with type 2 diabetes, daily consumption of cherries was also shown to regulate blood sugar (decreasing A1C) and improve cholesterol.
Fresh Cherries Versus Frozen Cherries
- Research from the University of Georgia in 2017 discovered that frozen fruits retain just as many nutrients as fresh fruits. Fresh produce is often picked before peak ripeness due to the amount of time that it sits in transport or on grocery store shelves. The nutrients remain when fruit is frozen at its peak ripeness (1).
- Fresh cherries are in season May-August so make sure to take advantage of fresh while they are available. The rest of the year, choose frozen!
- Fresh cherries in season will last about 1 week in the refrigerator. Frozen cherries will last well for 6 months in a regular freezer and up to 12 months in a deep freezer.
- Before making your cherry smoothie, make sure the pits {the large seeds in the middle of your cherries} have been removed!
Cherry Carbs
What’s the carbohydrate content of cherries? We often get asked if cherries (as well as other fruits) are “bad” because of the carbohydrate content. Here’s the nutritional breakdown…
- 1 cup of cherries has 25g carbs and 3 grams of fiber (so 22g net carbs) and 2 grams of protein.
To put that in perspective, we typically recommend a moderate carbohydrate intake of 100g or less per day for the majority of our clients. In other words, 30g of carbohydrate per meal is a good baseline. Keep in mind, that each person has different nutrient needs based on genetics, biochemistry, and lifestyle.
Are Cherries Fattening?
Not really! Just remember that the key to eating carbohydrates is to make sure you always consume them with a source of protein, healthy fat and fiber. This keeps your blood sugar balanced – a smart strategy for weight management. Eating naked carbohydrates can cause blood sugar to soar even for folks without insulin resistance or diabetes. So we recommend combining your cherries with a source of protein or healthy fat!
Smoothie making 101
Here’s our favorite smoothie making formula: Carbohydrate + Protein + Healthy Fat + Fiber
Then, add water, juice or milk of your choice to get your desired consistency. Usually ½ cup – 1 cup of liquid is plenty if there is another liquid in the smoothie as well (like the lime juice in the Cherry Smoothie recipe below).
We love this combination of nutrients because it keeps energy levels stable and normalizes gut motility. If you’ve ever had an upset stomach after enjoying a smoothie – the carbohydrate (fruit) content could be to blame! When we eat large amounts of sugar or carbs in isolation, it can increase the speed food travels through the intestine, creating loose stools. Protein, healthy fat and fiber help to slow the movement of food through the intestine so that the body has more time to break down and absorb nutrients.
Pro Smoothie Making Tips:
- We recommend using organic produce as often as possible, and especially in smoothies since they are raw. Also, higher quality ingredients always results in a better tasting recipe!
- We recommend measuring your ingredients the first time you follow a smoothie recipe (rather than randomly tossing things into your blender) to get the perfect consistency.
- If you have an awkward amount of smoothie leftover, pour it into a Popsicle mold and freeze for 3-4 hours. It makes a great summer snack for kids and kids at heart!
- We used this blender to make our cherry smoothie. It’s our preferred blender for smoothies, but if you don’t have a blender on hand – throw all of your ingredients into a food processor and blend up that way
Cherry Smoothie Recipe
Cherry Smoothie
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 cup greek yogurt whole, plain
- 3/4 cup frozen sweet cherries pitted
- 1/2 cup water filtered
Instructions
- Toss all ingredients into your blender or food processor and blend.
- Add water as needed to get to your desired consistency.
Notes
- We didn’t use ice since the cherries were frozen. If you like your smoothie really cold you can use ice instead of water.
- We used sweet cherries instead of tart cherries for this recipe. If you use tart you might want to add a touch of sweetener.
- If it isn’t sweet enough for you, add a teaspoon of honey or a drop or two of Stevia. We find that the sweetness of the cherries creates a sweet enough smoothie.
- When adding cherries to a blender, they've got to be pitted! Most of the time, frozen cherries are already pitted {meaning the large seeds in the middle have been removed} but check just to be sure before tearing up your blender and ruining your smoothie! Of course if you use fresh cherries you will need to remove the pits before adding them to your blender.
Nutrition
References:
1. Linshan,L.a, Ronald B.PeggaRonald R.EitenmilleraJi-YeonChunbAdrian L.Kerrihardc. Selected nutrient analyses of fresh, fresh-stored, and frozen fruits and vegetables. Journal of Food Composition and Anaysis. 2017; 59: 8-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2017.02.002
2. Kelley DS, Adkins Y, Laugero KD. A Review of the Health Benefits of Cherries. Nutrients. 2018;10(3):368. Published 2018 Mar 17. doi:10.3390/nu10030368