If you want to lose weight, you could eat up to:
- 1 cup of raw blueberries
- 1/2 cup of frozen sweetened
- 1 oz of dried blueberries
- 2 tbsp of sugar-free blueberry jam
Also, you could occasionally eat small portions of blubbery cakes or other blueberry sweets. But, not daily.
Blueberries are good for weight loss
Raw blueberries are great as part of a hypocaloric diet for weight loss. They regulate appetite, as they’re high in fiber. A diet high in fiber has been associated with a decreased risk of obesity.
Moreover, raw and frozen blueberries are good for weight loss because they’re 77-85% water. In fact, blueberries hydrate the body better than tap water, as they also contain electrolytes (mg per 100g):
- calcium 6 mg
- magnesium 6 mg
- potassium 77 mg
- phosphorus 12 mg
We have to replenish lost electrolytes daily. Electrolyte imbalances may impair fat burning.[1]
Furthermore, blueberries are good for weight loss, as they’re a good natural source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is beneficial for weight loss. It helps the body burn belly fat.
In addition, blueberries are one of the richest foods in anthocyanins. High anthocyanin intakes are particularly beneficial for burning belly fat. Anthocyanins can lower fat mass by up to 9%. Especially, belly fat. They prevent belly fat accumulation.[2]
In fact, the best way to eat blueberries is with foods with beta-glucan. The combination of anthocyanins with beta-glucan significantly increases satiation.
The best time to eat blueberries for weight loss is before a calorie-dense meal or at breakfast.
How many blueberries can I eat a day for weight loss?
Actually, we can eat high amounts of raw blueberries, as they’re low in calories. They contain only 57 calories per 100g. A whole cup of raw blueberries has only 86 calories! Hence, people who follow a sedentary life and want to lose weight can eat a cup of raw blueberries a day. Active people, athletes, or individuals who don’t want to lose weight can eat up to 2 cups of raw blueberries per day.
However, you should eat lower amounts if you prefer frozen or dried blueberries, as they have more calories.
Frozen
Most frozen blueberries are sweetened. They have added sugar. Actually, sugar is a cheap way to add weight to products. Sweetened frozen blueberries have about 50% more calories than raw blueberries. Thus, you should eat only 1/2 cup of sweetened frozen blueberries if you want to lose weight.
Dried blueberries
Above all, you should be very cautious with portion sizes of dried blueberries. They’re particularly high in calories and sugar! They may even have added sugar. Dried blueberries have almost 6 times more calories than raw blueberries! Therefore, people who want to lose weight could eat only small portions of dried blueberries. You better eat up to 1 oz of dried blueberries. This small dose has about 90 calories.
Jams, syrups & pies
Certainly, you should avoid blueberry syrups, jams, and pies if you want to burn belly fat. These foods are packed with added sugar and calories. Only sugar-free blueberry jams are healthy! Still, more than 2 tbsp of blueberry jam a day can make you gain weight.
