The Strawberry Diet: Lose weight with strawberries 8 ways
Did you know that the humble strawberry contains an enzyme that makes the human body lose weight? Anti-inflammatory properties contain enough fibre to assist and aid your diet, and strawberries contain these in droves.
The garden strawberry is originally French and was bred from the 16th Century and used in cakes, pies, jams and candies and was renowned for its sweet taste and abundant flavour. Even the Ancient Romans loved strawberries, and their robust, reddish colour was used in illuminated manuscripts from centuries past.
Today the USA and Turkey are the biggest producers of strawberries. 100 grams of strawberries yields only 33 calories, so they are a delightful and healthy snack.
Here are 10 ways you can lose weight with strawberries
Strawberry granita
Combining my two biggest loves; alcohol and fruit, we come up with a strawberry granita. What’s a granita? It’s a frozen ice drink which contains both fruit and alcohol. I don’t have time to regale you with the history of the recipe, but like all good things, it is Italian. Blend 1 cup strawberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir into a concoction of 2 cups lemonade to 1 cup of vodka (hey, lets’ have a good time).
Freeze in Tupperware containers, ensuring liquid is 2cms thick. Freeze 8 hours. Scoop out with a teaspoon and serve in a very posh glass with a silver spoon. As the alcohol has not been cooked – it will retain its alcoholic properties. You might get drunk.
Strawberries with stevia
When I was a little girl my Mati (grandmother) would slice a punnet of fresh strawberries just for me, sprinkle them with a teaspoon of white sugar (and I think some grenadine) and put them in the fridge to infuse for a few hours.
If you don’t like sugar, use stevia. If you are not diabetic and don’t have a sugar addiction or lots of weight to lose, then use real sugar. It is more satisfying and will keep you fuller for longer.
Strawberry yoghurt
Make sure you choose a brand that is low fat, low sugar and high in fruit content. Yoghurts are a great weight loss food, but only when eaten in moderation. I love the Vaalia brand – but one small pot will set you back almost 100 calories, so factor this into your daily calorific needs.
Barbequed strawberries
I live in Aussie-Straya; you have probably heard of it – the Land Down Under. To make a long story short – we love to barbeque things. Let the records show that strawberries can be barbequed. My fave Aussie mag Delicious suggests that you serve them with icecream after the fact.
Strawberry jam
I love my Dad and he’s awesome at lots of things; listening, fixing computers and sound systems, cooking and making chutneys and jams. Strawberry jam contains lots of sugar, but you can limit yourself to “natural” sugars found in the fruit itself and make strawberry jam (sugar, lemon juice, and fresh strawberries). Check out a simple, 3-ingredient recipe here.
Strawberries with vodka
Well, this is Aunty Alyce’s personal fave – anything with fruit and booze must be great – right? Smoosh your best fresh strawberries under a big, flat knife, dump some ice on the top and pour vodka over the lot. Add a mint leaf or two and muddle the contents. “Muddling” is done with a big, flat wooden stick (like a rolling pin) and helps to infuse the flavours together.
Strawberry flan
OK my beloved hubby makes these really well and they can be made vegan which is terrific. All you need is a punnet of strawberries, a single roll of puff pastry, some granulated sugar (+ icing sugar to decorate) and a good dollop of low fat yoghurt to serve. Bake your strawberry flan in the oven on a moderate heat for about 10 minutes, sprinkle with icing sugar and allow to cool.
Strawberry smoothie
1 punnet strawberries, 2 cups of ice. ½ a cup of soy milk + some stevia to taste. Blend in a decent blender (not a cheap one, or your ice won’t be smooth) and serve in a lovely glass with a snazzy straw. This is your breakfast or lunch – not a snack (if weight loss is your goal).
Lose weight with strawberries
“My family lived off the land and summer evening meals featured baked stuffed tomatoes, potato salad, corn on the cob, fresh shelled peas and homemade ice cream with strawberries from our garden. With no air conditioning in those days, the cool porch was the centre of our universe after the scorching days.”
Quote by David Mixner
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