incsiodsetco
Blueberries
are nature’s
healthful treat
Berry
tale
Buying COSTCO’S FRESH BLUEBERRIES rock my world. Type II diabetes and certain types of cancer.
Besides tasting great, they’re available almost year- Dr. Pratt explains, “If you want to look, think and
round, are offered in super-size amounts and are move like a youngster as you get older, there is prob-
Smart full-flavored, gorgeous and priced amazingly low. ably no better food. Blueberries are the best calorie-I heard that Dr. Steven Pratt, bestselling author suppressed and nutrient-dense fruit of its class. Just
of SuperFoods Rx and SuperFoods HealthStyle and eating one cup a day may help keep aging at bay.”
Consumer reporter senior staff ophthalmologist at Scripps Memorial I could have spent hours talking with this
Pat Volchok gives a Hospital in La Jolla, California, is also a big fan of healthy-lifestyle guru, but Costco’s blueberry buy-
behind-the-scenes look blueberries. So I called him up for a little chat. ing team also has quite a story to tell.
at Costco products The good doctor first noticed a link between “Blueberries are the poster child of our fruit nutrition and health when some of his patients suf- department,” reports Costco buyer Heather Shavey.
and services. fering from age-related macular degeneration, an “They represent everything Costco does well in
Send your questions to: eye disease, improved with a diet of nutrient-dense bringing a fruit to members.”
buyingsmart@ “super foods.” North America produces nearly 90 percent of
costco.com These include apples, avocado, beans, blueber- the world’s blueberries. This means that during the ries, broccoli, dark chocolate, kiwi, garlic, honey, warmer months of mid-April through early
oats, extra virgin olive oil, onions, oranges, pome- October, Northern Hemisphere high-bush blues are
granate, pumpkin, wild salmon, soy, spinach, tea, plentiful and offered in all warehouses. Container
tomatoes, turkey, walnuts and yogurt. All are high in sizes run from 18 ounces to a whopping 2.75
micronutrients and sources of healthy fats, carbs pounds ( 44 ounces), depending on availability.
and proteins, and are part of the federal govern- Blueberry connoisseurs take note: Early-spring
ment’s food pyramid for healthy eating—if they’re blues tend to be more mild in flavor, by June they’re
eaten in appropriate amounts. at their sweetest and the late-fall crop is slightly tart.
Blueberries contain more powerful disease-fight- And for those of us who appreciate a good deal,
ing antioxidants than any other single fruit. Just one Todd Eagan, Costco blueberry buyer, calls the peak
serving provides as many antioxidants as five servings harvest time of mid-June through July “blueberry
of carrots, apples, broccoli or squash. Blueberries also bonus months.” This is when the berries are at their
have the potential to help protect against inflamma- lowest price and best eating.
tion, urinary tract infections, heart disease, dementia, Once the northern harvest is over, Costco
