Written by: Fia Batua- Mambuay, RND | Medical Culinary & Sports Nutritionist Dietitian

“Cherries are a superfood!“

You read that right. Cherries offer a multitude of nutritious benefits and are well known
for aiding in everything from managing weight and sleep to fighting a variety of diseases
and conditions.

I can’t stop myself from grabbing a handful of Northwest Cherries! They’re fresh, sweet,
firm, and juicy. It’s love at first bite! Because why not? Cherries taste good and are good
for our body.

You really should get yourself some while they’re in season — it’s a life-changer!

Cherries: A tastier way to fight cancer.

I take this health benefit personal because of my family’s history of cancer. I am always
on the look-out for advancements in science for cancer cures and treatments. This is
one of the reasons I’m a big fan of sweet cherries!

Sweet cherries contain perillyl alcohol – shown to be capable of inhibiting pancreatic,
breast, liver, colon, skin, and lung cancers – which raises the fruit’s anti-carcinogenic
activity.

In lab studies, the phenolic compounds of sweet cherries appear to inhibit breast cancer
cell growth without toxicity to normal cells. In addition, its extracts have been shown to
inhibit the proliferation of colon and breast cancer cells in several published studies.
(Source: https://bit.ly/3we87w2)

Some cancers are genetic, thus unavoidable, but ongoing studies show that some
cancers can be prevented with healthy lifestyle choices. Research has shown that poor
diet and not being active are key factors that can increase a person’s cancer risk.
(Source: https://bit.ly/3wdzdDz)

Cherries: A sweet source of fiber.

Boost your intake of fiber with cherries!

A serving of sweet cherries (1 cup, 140 grams, about 21 pieces) provides 90 calories and 3 grams of dietary fiber or 12% daily value of the body’s fiber needs. (Source: https://bit.ly/3qIN4QZ)

Fiber helps clean out bacteria and other buildups in the intestines and reduces risk for
colon cancer. In addition, a diet rich in fiber helps you have soft, regular bowel
movements, relieving constipation. So eat your fiber! (Source: https://bit.ly/36h0g69)

Dietary fiber promotes healthy weight management as it help you feel full longer. Diets
rich in fiber may also lower bad cholesterol, reduce blood pressure levels, and help
stabilize blood sugar levels. (Source: https://bit.ly/2Tyy7VF)

High Fiber Snack

Here’s a healthy, high fiber snack that I’ve been dying to share with you. It’s a recipe
inspired by the Real + Vibrant blog. I opted not to use almonds in my version and used
canola oil instead of coconut oil. It’s my ultimate on-the-go snack and is actually pretty
easy to do!

CHERRY OAT BAR 🍒

Crust/Topping 🌿

1 ½ cup rolled oats
½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup canola oil

Cherry filling 🍒

2 ½ cups Northwest Cherries, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and grease with canola oil.
3. In a large bowl, mix rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour
   canola oil over the mixture and stir until the mixture is well coated.
4. In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the pitted and chopped cherries, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cornstarch. Mix well.
5. Measure 1 cup of the oat mixture and set aside. Using your hands, spread the
   remaining mixture onto the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the cherry filling over the oat mixture, using a spatula to spread and fill the corners evenly. Evenly crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top begins to turn golden brown. Allow the bars to cool completely before removing them from the pan.

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This post is sponsored by Northwest Cherries Philippines (@nwcherriesphl on Facebook and Instagram).

Northwest Cherries are available only a few months a year (June to August).

The dark sweet and yellow cherries are recognized throughout the world for their sweetness, firmness, and consistency in color. They are offered by online fruit sellers and are also found in the produce section of supermarkets nationwide.

You can order cherries by the box and support a cause at the same time. With Cherries For Charity, $1 worth of Northwest Cherries will be donated to medical front liners for every box purchased. Click here to order: https://bit.ly/3wRaupr.