Energy value (calories per serving): Low

Protein: Low

Fat: Low

Saturated fat: Low

Cholesterol: None

Carbohydrates: High

Fiber: Moderate

Sodium: Low

Major vitamin contribution: Vitamin C

Major mineral contribution: Calcium

About the Nutrients in Blueberries

Blueberries have some protein and a little fat. They have no starch but do contain sugars and dietary fiber—primarily pectin, which dissolves as the fruit matures—and lignin in the seeds. (The difference between blueberries and huckleberries is the size of their seeds; blueberries have smaller ones than huckleberries.)

One-half cup fresh blueberries has 1.5 g dietary fiber and 9.5 mg. vitamin C (18.8 percent of the RDA).

The Most Nutritious Way to Serve Blueberries

Fresh, raw, or lightly cooked.

Buying Blueberries

Look for: Plump, firm dark-blue berries. The whitish color on the berries is a natural protective coating.

Avoid: Baskets of berries with juice stains or liquid leaking out of the berries. The stains and leaks are signs that there are crushed (and possibly moldy) berries inside.

Storing Blueberries

Cover berries and refrigerate them. Then use them in a day or two.

Do not wash berries before storing. The moisture increases the chance that they will mold in the refrigerator. Also, handling the berries can damage them, tearing cells and releasing enzymes that will destroy vitamins.

Do not store blueberries in metal containers. The anthocyanin pigments in the berries can combine with metal ions to form dark, unattractive pigment/metal compounds that stain the containers and the berries.