With strawberry season in full swing and the start of spring ushering in longer and warmer days, now is the perfect time to incorporate some new healthy strawberry recipes into your diet.
As good for you as they are delicious, strawberries are low in naturally-occurring sugars and packed with fiber and antioxidants. To help you start spring off on the right foot, the Florida Medical Clinic team has put together three of our favorite healthy strawberry recipes:
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Health Benefits of Strawberries
Strawberries are an excellent snack to enjoy on their own or as part of a delicious homemade dish.
Strawberries are relatively low in calories and are higher in vitamin C than many citrus fruits. They also contain a variety of healthy vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, iron, fiber, and folate. Strawberries also contain zero fat and zero sodium.
The USDA recommends that most kids and adults need between 1 and 2 cups of fruit per day—and enjoying some fresh strawberries is a great way to meet that recommendation. To help you incorporate more fruit into your diet, we’ve put together these 3 strawberry recipes that the entire family can enjoy.
1. Strawberry-Rhubarb Smoothie with Mint
Strawberries and rhubarb are a classic spring pairing—and we’ve transformed this tried and true pie filling into a healthy, delicious smoothie that’s easy to enjoy every day.
Using frozen rhubarb cuts down on prep and helps to make smoothies thicker and creamier. Using fresh mint gives a brightness to complement the strawberries.
Makes: 2 smoothies
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (fresh or frozen) strawberries with stems removed
- 1 cup frozen rhubarb chunks
- 1 ½ cup unsweetened oat milk (or other unsweetened milk of your choice)
- 1 Tbsp honey* or agave nectar
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp mint leaves
- Whole mint sprigs for serving
*Note: Do not serve smoothies made with honey to infants under 1 year of age.
Directions
- Trim stems off of strawberries and wash thoroughly. Pluck some mint leaves and roughly tear them into small pieces.
- Combine all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth. If the smoothie is too thick, add extra milk 1 Tbsp at a time and continue blending until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Pour into glasses, garnish with a few mint leaves—and enjoy!
Bonus: Pour this smoothie into popsicle molds and let chill in the freezer. You’ll have a perfect kids’ treat for warm spring afternoons outdoors.
2. Strawberry Caprese Salad
Strawberries aren’t limited to desserts—they can add a burst of flavor when combined with savory elements, too. This recipe combines classic caprese ingredients with strawberries and optional avocado to add a satisfying twist.
Makes: 1 large salad (3-4 servings)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh spring mix or spinach
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 large tomato
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese pearls
- 1 avocado (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinaigrette
Directions
- Trim off strawberry stems and slice thinly. If using, pit avocado and cut into chunks the same size as the mozzarella pearls. Cut tomato into similar sized chunks. Tear basil leaves into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, toss spring mix, tomato, strawberries, avocado, mozzarella pearls, and basil leaves with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Before serving, drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette—then enjoy!
3. Sugar-Free Strawberry Sauce Topping
A jar of strawberry sauce is always great to have on hand. Making strawberry sauce from scratch is a helpful way to avoid store-bought jars that contain lots of added sugars and preservatives.
This recipe swaps granulated sugar for powdered monk fruit sweetener, a healthier, sugar-free and zero-calorie alternative that tastes just as delicious.
This simple strawberry topping is great to use in PB&J’s, on top of yogurt or oatmeal, or as a sweet crepe filling. Plus, it’s easy to scale up and double the ingredients if you want to make more and store it in the freezer for later!
Makes: 1 ½ cups of sauce (1 Tbsp per serving)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh strawberries
- ¼ cup Lakanto powdered monk fruit sweetener
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Directions
- Trim off the strawberry stems and be sure to wash thoroughly under clean running water. Slice strawberries thinly.
- Place strawberries, powdered monk fruit sweetener, and lemon juice into a saucepan and stir to combine. Put the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Let the strawberries cook and reduce down for about 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the strawberries aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan. Once thickened, remove from heat and let cool.
- Serve immediately or store sauce in a clean, air-tight glass container for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
If you make one of these delicious strawberry recipes, we’d love to see it! Share your photos on Instagram and tag our official account, @FLMedClinic.
You can get more healthy recipes by signing up for the Florida Medical Clinic newsletter! Or for more tasty recipes right now (that can be enjoyed year-round), view our other recipe blogs:
- 4 Healthy Summer Smoothie Recipes You Need to Try
- 3 Healthy Pumpkin Spice Recipes for Fall
- Heart Healthy Valentine’s Day Dinner Recipes