Florida winter strawberries great choice for healthy new year

PLANT CITY, Fla. - Jan. 22, 2015 - PRLog -- As people make fitness and diet resolutions in the new year, there is no more delicious and nutritious food choice than fresh Florida winter strawberries to help meet these goals.

The unique winter berries allow consumers to enjoy the beneficial superfood annually from November through April, when fresh-from-the-field, U.S.-grown strawberries are delivered to markets east of the Mississippi River, including the Eastern Seaboard and parts of Canada.

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association offers the following healthy highlights delivered through the sweetest, reddest and juiciest strawberries around!

• One serving of about eight strawberries provides more Vitamin C than an orange, or about 140 percent of the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances for Vitamin C.
• Strawberries are one of the most antioxidant-rich foods you can eat. Among many health benefit, they’ve been shown to boost heart health.
• There’s virtually no fat, and there’s no cholesterol in strawberries.
• Strawberries pack a lot of fiber for their size. And, in addition to lots of Vitamin C, they offer potassium, magnesium, iron, Vitamin B-6 and calcium.
• Eating strawberries, which are rich in nitrates, can increase the flow of blood and oxygen to muscles by 7 percent. This prevents muscle fatigue, making exercise easier and more productive.
• Strawberries are rich in antioxidants that can improve heart markers, including total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins and triglycerides.
• Studies have shown that strawberries stop wrinkles! All that Vitamin C in the berries builds collagen and keeps skin smooth.
• One cup of strawberries contains only 47 calories – a great alternative to other fat- and sugar-filled treats.

Plant City, Fla., has been proclaimed “The Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.” The ideal climate and productive soils, along with dedicated family farms that have existed for many generations, provide the most locally grown and “Fresh from Florida” strawberries during the winter months.

Local growers and members of the FSGA produce about 15 percent of the nation’s strawberries and virtually all the berries grown during the winter. The commodity has an economic impact on the local community exceeding $700 million.  For more information about FSGA, visit www.flastrawberry.com.