Originally posted July 11, 2013. Revised May 2015.

It may sound silly, but when a patriotic holiday like Independence Day comes around, I want to see red, white and blue everywhere I go. There’s just something about seeing those beautiful colors around town that warms my heart. Whether it’s a flag hanging outside of my neighbor’s home or a display of stars-and-stripes at the supermarket or shopping mall, I love it. You can bet that when it comes time to celebrate with my family and friends, I love to see a table decked-out in the colors of Old Glory. Yes, I admit, these little things do matter to me.

July is not only the month we celebrate the independence of our nation, it is also when we celebrate National Berry Month! Including brightly colored berries into our holiday menu not only makes for a festive table setting, these little super-foods are bursting with sweet flavor–and two of my all-time favorite berries just happen to be bright red and deep blue! Some things were meant to be 

Berries like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are well-known for their high antioxidant content and health boosting properties. The natural chemicals (phytochemicals) found in deep and bright pigmented foods like berries deliver high amounts of vitamins C that help strengthen our immune system and keep our heart, brain and body healthy. According to the California Strawberry Commission, eight strawberries contains more vitamin C than a whole orange! The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council indicates a cup of blueberries has only 80 calories and anti-inflammatory properties that help protect against heart disease, cancer and age-related illnesses. Like all fruits, blueberries and strawberries naturally have satisfying fiber and a sweet flavor that make them a perfectly healthy treat for everyone!

I came up with this simple, festive recipe that includes three fresh ingredients. After taking a look on Pinterest, it seems I’m not the only one who has thought of combining these ingredients together (!), but all the versions I came across had a high fat cream filling; I’m using non-fat Greek yogurt. The thick texture and rich flavor of the yogurt make every bite creamy and delicious. My version has no fat and a serving of six has less than 100 calories. It’s quick and fun to assemble and looks fabulous! If you have little ones, they can help wash the berries, fill the hulled strawberries and place the blueberry on top. 

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Red, White and Blue Bites

Yield: About 16 filled strawberries
Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1, 16 ounce container fresh strawberries
  • 1, 6 ounce container fresh blueberries
  • 1, 6 ounce container vanilla non fat Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

Directions

  1. Rinse all berries and carefully pat dry with a clean dishcloth or paper towel.
  2. Hull strawberries and take a thin slice off the tip so that each berry stands upright on its own.
  3. Fill a small plastic bag (or piping bag) with yogurt (I used a snack-sized resealable plastic baggie). Snip one corner off the bag so it creates a small hole for the yogurt to flow out of. Gently squeeze the bag and fill each strawberry until you can see the yogurt rise just above the top of each berry.
  4. Final touch: Top each strawberry with one blueberry.

*Estimated Nutrition Facts
1 serving: 6 filled berries
Calories: 98; Total Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Total Carbohydrates: 10.6 gr; Dietary Fiber: 1.7 gr; Sugar: 7.8 gr; Sodium: 0mg

*Resources used to obtain nutrition information: NutritionData.self.com, CaliforniaStrawberries.com, BlueberryCouncil.org,  Chobani.com

Enjoy and have fun!
~CWN


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