What Foods Have Acai Berry?
Acai berries are rich in antioxidants, proteins, amino acids and fiber. In short, they're just really good for your health. But, the acai palm, which produces the berry, is native to Northern Brazil, making obtaining acai berries outside of South America difficult. The acai berry has a short lifespan, so the fruit must be shipped freeze-dried, bottled or in powder form. However, you can find many foods that contain acai berry at your local supermarket.
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Juices and Purees
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You can blend acai frozen fruit pulp with other fruits or use it by itself to create a healthy drink. Many specialty and gourmet supermarkets carry frozen acai pulp, and once pureed, the deep purple liquid can be consumed as a juice or syrup. Drinking the high-quality pulp allows the body to absorb the nutrients almost as well as eating the fruit fresh. You can also find bottled purees in some local supermarkets.
Smoothies
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Another fast and convenient way to enjoy the health benefits of acai berries is to buy premade smoothies with the fruit in them. Smoothies incorporate the entire berry, which provides a high nutrient and antioxidant content.
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Ice Creams and Sorbets
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The acai berry has a shelf life of 24 hours after it has been picked, so high-quality processing is important. The berry should be kept cold to maintain its nutritional value and can degrade quickly if exposed to heat. For maximum health value, the acai berry should not be cooked and is best used in cold foods such as ice cream.
Research the Products
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When buying products that contain acai berry, make sure you are getting a high-quality brand. Eating fresh acai berries is obviously the best option, but due to the berry's rarity, most people don't have that luxury. Consuming a high-quality juice or puree is the next best choice. Products that incorporate the entire berry into the food are best because the highest antioxidant content is found in the skin. You can spot good acai berry juices based on the thickness of the liquid; a high-quality acai berry juice is much thicker than a typical fruit juice.
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