Whether you’re trying to eat cleaner or looking for some inspiration to cleanse after the dessert-filled holiday season, we’ve got a superhero “ingredient” that you can eat at any time of the day… berries!

Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are some of our favorite toppings and quick add-ins for a variety of savory and sweet dishes. Berries tend to slip under the radar during the cooler months, but you can enjoy a juicy, sweet burst of nutritious flavor all year. 

Of course, we love to eat them on their own as a snack, but they are so easy to add to so many of our favorite dishes.

That’s why we at The Produce Moms love to use them often. We rounded up some of our family’s favorite berry recipes for each meal of your day — breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, drinks, and desserts.  

Take a look and give them all a try!

This berry recipe roundup is sponsored by Naturipe. 

Health Benefits of Berries

Berries are always in our fridge. Although they are small, they each pack a punch when it comes to nutrients that we want our kids to have. Just one cup of fresh berries has a variety of nutrients with zero sodium or cholesterol, perfect for the whole family. 

One serving of:

• Blueberries have Vitamin C for a strong immune system and fiber to help you feel satisfied quicker and stay full longer.
• Strawberries contain as much Vitamin C as a medium orange with a hefty dose of daily potassium believed to help regulate nerves. 
• Raspberries have ellagic acid that helps keep your cells in tip-top shape and Vitamin C to help the body heal.
• Blackberries provide your body with twice the fiber as brown rice and a third of the recommended daily amount of Vitamin C. 

Whether you’re trying to eat better or just looking for an easy way to add some juicy, sweet nutrients to your daily meals, berries are a natural powerhouse!

We know you’re going to love these berry recipes as much as we do.

Simple Berry Add-Ins for Each Meal of the Day

Berries can be baked, sauteed, or just rinsed and eaten as is. Or top them on your favorite breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner. These berry recipes are sure to please your whole family!

Breakfast: 

Easy Overnight Oats are simple, quick, and don’t require any cooking. Mix half a cup of old-fashioned oats and milk or yogurt in a jar along with fresh blueberries and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top your oats with fresh blueberries and serve. Add a handful to no-cook and make-ahead breakfasts for a filling start to your family’s day.

Berries are so easy to add with all of your favorite breakfast foods:

• Top your homemade pancakes or waffles with blueberries.
• Add blueberries to your favorite cereal, smoothie bowl or cottage cheese bowl.
• Use berries to make Animal Faces on your toast or create animals on top of your oatmeal.

More Breakfast Ideas: Breakfast Banana Split, Avocado Blueberry Muffins, or Breakfast Charcuterie Board 

Lunch: 

Berries are a great addition to any salad. And the best part is you can make it how you like or with whatever you already have on hand at home.

Berries add a fresh burst of sweet, juicy flavor to any salad mixture. Just simply add your favorite lettuce base and top with other veggies of choice, cheese, a little crunch and the star of the salad, fresh berries. Want to add some protein? The berries pair well with flank steak, grilled chicken, shrimp, or your other favorite protein. Toss with a vinaigrette for the perfect creamy, juicy, fresh, and sweet berry recipe for weekday lunches.

A simple strawberry salad that you can make in 5 minutes includes a lettuce base with pecans, blue cheese crumbles and sliced strawberries topped with a balsamic vinaigrette. 

More Berry Lunch Ideas: Blackberry Caprese Salad, Blueberry Brie Grilled Cheese, Plum and Blackberry Grain Salad, Strawberry Caprese Salad, and Peanut Butter & Raspberry Pinwheel Sandwiches

Snack: 

As we have mentioned, berries always taste great and make the perfect snack as is. However,  we also enjoy them as a fun snack idea or recipe.

We love skewers and kabobs here at The Produce Moms. Our kids love to help us put them together in the kitchen, too. 

We love these Blueberry Caprese Skewers showcasing Naturipe’s Mighty Blues. Swap traditional tomatoes with Mighty Blues and arrange them on a small wooden skewer with bite-size pieces of mozzarella and fresh basil. Then, drizzle with a balsamic reduction and serve. It’s sweet, tart, and creamy all at the same time. 

More Berry Snack Ideas: Berry Fruit Salad, No Bake Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Energy Bites, Deviled Strawberries, Frozen Banana Boats with Berries, and Strawberry Salad Kabobs

Dinner: 

Berries can also make a great addition to any dinner dish. There are several ways that you can just add berries to your meal.

• Berries make a great savory and sweet sauce for any protein. It’s light enough to pair with delicate fish like salmon and holds up well against hearty meats like pork or steak. Whip up a batch of Blackberry Sauce on the stove and add a few spoonfuls for a little something extra to dress up your dinner protein during the week.
• You can make a condiment with your favorite berry. Our kids love this blueberry ketchup recipe that we like to keep on hand as a dipper for fries or chicken tenders.
• Make a hearty dinner salad that incorporates proteins and berries. The Steak and Strawberry Salad is always a weeknight favorite for the whole family.

More Dinner Ideas: Cranberry, Blueberry, and Strawberry Sauce and Homemade Strawberry BBQ Sauce

Dessert: 

Berries can make a dessert simple and easy to pull together. Enjoy champagne and chocolate for dessert? Simply add a handful of your favorite berries! Yes, it really can just be that simple.

Enjoy baking? There are some great cookie recipes that incorporate berries, like our Crumbl Copycat Blackberry Lemon Cookie or our simple Blueberry Cookies. Want something more decadent? Our Blueberry Cheesecake is the answer.

Craving something cold? We have easy homemade “ice cream” recipes that the whole family will love. Try our Strawberry Banana “Nice” Cream or our Strawberry Cottage Cheese Ice Cream  to satisfy that sweet tooth.

More Berry Dessert Ideas: White Chocolate-Dipped Matcha Strawberries, Red, White, and Blue Mini Trifles, Strawberry Brownie Bites, Marshmallow Creme Dip + S’mores Board, Fruit Pizza, and Blueberry Crumb Cake Bread

Drinks: 

Berries are a great addition to your favorite cocktails or mocktails. You can turn them into a berry simple syrup, blend them as a base, or use them as garnish. Regardless of how you add the berries, they are easy to add and make any drink a little more flavorful.

You’ll love this and it couldn’t be any easier! Pour a glass of blush champagne and drop in a few fresh raspberries. For extra brightness, we love to add basil, lime, and raspberry infused simple syrup. But this raspberry recipe is seriously bubbly,  sweet, and tart all on its own. 

You can also add berries to your ice cubes, so they can add a little extra flavor to your favorite drinks. Don’t be afraid to get creative with flavor combinations. One of our favorites is making the Hydrangea Ice Cubes.

More Berry Drink Ideas: Blueberry Iced Tea, Strawberry Chocolate Martini, Raspberry Champagne, Strawberry Grapefruit Margarita, Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade,  and Blueberry Moscow Mule,

Looking for More Ways to Add Berries?

There are so many more ways to add berries to your life. We love Food Art because it is fun for kids to “create” in the kitchen. And studies show that kids are more likely to eat something that they have helped create. 

Some of our Favorite Food Art Ideas:

• Strawberry Ladybugs
• Blueberry Ants
• Butterfly Fruit Art
• Parrot Fruit Tray
• Blueberry Penguin
• Strawberry Santas

Berries are also great for any charcuterie board, Jarcuteries or a Snackle Box. They add a pop of color that is appealing to the eye. We always say, we eat with our eyes first!

How to Select and Store Berries

The quality of your berries is important in helping your family develop a love of produce. Berries should be plump and bright in color. They should be in a clear container with holes (air vents) to help keep the berries fresh.

When you bring home your berries, it’s best to store them in the fridge as soon as possible. Wait to wash your berries until you’re ready to eat them. Washing berries before storage can add extra moisture, causing them to go bad quickly. When stored properly, they can last longer. Since they’re extra delicate, be sure to gently wash blackberries and raspberries before serving so they stay plump.

Why We Love Naturipe

Many think of berries as a refreshing summer snack. But Naturipe works hard to make sure you have access to fresh, sustainably grown berries year-round. With all of the nutrients packed in each berry, they’re the perfect addition to any meal of the day, any time of the year. 

Look for the clear clamshell containers in your produce section with the white and green label for the juiciest, sweetest berry recipes in your meal plan.