Only raw blueberries are low in calories. They have 57 calories per 100g. Sweetened and dried blueberries, as well as other blueberry products, have many more calories.
Blueberries are mainly sugars
Most calories of blueberry come from sugars. Fresh blueberries contain 10 g of sugars, 0.7 g of protein, 0.3 g of fat, and 2.4 g of fiber per 100g.[1]
Actually, 1 gram of carbohydrate or protein has 4 calories, while 1 gram of fat has 9 calories.
Are blueberries high in calories?
Blueberries are low in calories, as they’re high in water. They’re 84% water. Raw blueberries have only 57 calories per 100g.
Frozen blueberries have more calories than raw blueberries, though. Frozen blueberries have 85 calories per 100g. They have almost 50% more calories than the raw berry!
First, frozen blueberries have more calories because they have about 8% less water than raw blueberries.
Most noteworthy, most frozen blueberries are sweetened. They contain added sugar. In fact, they may contain up to 20 g of sugar per 100g. So, many frozen sweetened blueberries may contain twice the amount of sugar naturally present in raw blueberries!
But, raw blueberries have a low sugar content. Even people on keto and people with diabetes can consume them in moderation!
Dried blueberries contain even more calories, though. They have 317 calories per 100g! In fact, dried blueberries have 5 times more calories than raw blueberries!
Other popular dried fruits. such as dates and raisins have fewer calories per 100g!
How many calories are in 10 blueberries?
1 raw blueberry has about 0.8 calories. Hence, a small handful of 10 raw blueberries has about 8 calories. A big handful of 20 blueberries has about 16 calories.
How many calories are in a 1/2 cup of blueberries?
A 1/2 cup contains approximately 50 blueberries. It has only 39 calories. Even people with diabetes, or people who want to lose weight, can eat a 1/2 cup of blueberries a day!
A 1/2 cup of frozen sweetened blueberries has about 100 calories. Moreover, a 1/2 cup of dried blueberries has about 250 calories. Better avoid them. They’re much higher in sugar. Hence, they have many more extra calories.
Are 2 cups of blueberries a day too much?
Two cups of raw blueberries have about 170 calories. Most people can still consume such high amounts of raw blueberries without experiencing any side effects.
Better avoid consuming too many blueberries, though. It’s better to eat a wide variety of foods in order to get many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant compounds.
Certainly, 2 cups of sweetened or dried blueberries are too much. They have 392 and 1,026 calories, respectively!
What’s the calorie content of blueberry juice?
Blueberry juice has about 37 calories per 100 mL. An 8 fl oz glass of blueberry juice has about 92 calories. Actually, blueberry juice is among the lowest fruit juices in calories!
For instance, a glass of orange juice has 22% more calories than blueberry juice. Drinking too much orange juice can make you gain weight.
As fruit juices contain negligible amounts of fiber, they aren’t filling. As a rule of thumb, we should prefer consuming the whole fruit than the fruit juice. Whole blueberries are rich in fiber as well.
Only lemon juice has significantly fewer calories than blueberry juice. Lemon juice is pretty low in sugars. It supports weight loss and boosts the immune system, as it’s very high in vitamin C!
Are other popular blueberry products high in calories?
Other blueberry products, such as syrups, jams, pies, muffins, and blueberry yogurts, can make you gain weight, as they have more calories than fresh blueberries. They have added sugar.
For instance, blueberry syrup has 88 calories, blueberry pie has 245 calories, and blueberry muffin has 255 calories per 100g!
Can blueberry help us lose weight?
Raw blueberries are great for satisfying your sweet tooth. They have much fewer calories than sweets. So, they help us be in caloric deficit, which is the key for weight loss.
Most noteworthy, blueberry is packed with antioxidant compounds, which have many health benefits.
For instance, compounds in blueberries can help obese people lose weight because they may improve postprandial glucose management and insulin sensitivity. Hence, blueberries have anti-diabetic properties. They may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.[2,3]
The best time to eat blueberries for weight loss is before a calorie-dense meal or at breakfast.
Should I eat blueberries every day?
Regular consumption of raw blueberries is beneficial for the body.
First, blueberry is a good dietary source of vitamin C. Furthermore, it’s particularly rich in flavonoids (mainly anthocyanidins), polyphenols (procyanidin), phenolic acids, pyruvic acid, and chlorogenic acid.[4]
These compounds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-obesity properties! They may protect our vision, bones, liver, and lung as well.
Moreover, blueberries may prevent degenerative diseases. They may improve brain function, delay cognitive decline, and improve our mood.[5]
Most noteworthy, regular consumption of blueberries and other anthocyanin-rich foods may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.[6]
Also, they have a beneficial effect on sleep and gut microflora.
You can take advantage of these health benefits of blueberry year-round with organic blueberry extracts or powders. You can find a wide variety of them on iHerb.
