I love tasting new foods! My recent diet shift has been a blast because it has encouraged me to try many different fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, etc. My boyfriend and I took a recent trip to Whole Foods because I had a few never-before-tried items in mind that I wanted to purchase.
The very first item on my list was goji berries. After watching an episode of You Are What You Eat where Gillian touted the benefits of the little reddish-orange berries, my curiosity was peaked!
So what are the benefits of this famous goji berry? My internet research indicated that nutritional profiles varied from website to website. Goji berries were nowhere to be found on NutritionData.com or similar sites. I even logged into an old FitDay.com account in order to check for them there. Nada. So, after much more research on a topic that one may assume would generally be easy to find data on, I located the following information as a trend on many sites:
A 100 gram serving of dried berries has
- 370 calories (keep in mind that 100 grams is a fairly large serving.)
- 112 mg of Calcium, 8-10% of one’s recommended daily intake (DRI)
- 1132 mg of Potassium, 24% DRI
- 9 mg Iron, 100% DRI
- 2 mg Zinc, 18% DRI
- 50 micrograms Selenium, 91% DRI
- 1.3 mg Riboflavin, 100% DRI
- depending on the brand of berry purchased, there may be between 30% and 160% DRI of Vitamin C
Goji berries also contain several phytochemicals:
- Beta-Carotene
- Zeaxanthin
- Polysaccarides
One serving of goji berries is also purported to contain a massive amount of antioxidants: about 10 times the amount existing in one serving of blueberries.
*Note: I was flabergasted about the lack of reliable information available on Goji berries out there on the web. Most of the information was coming from companies that sell goji-related products. Although I have no doubt that these berries are full of a copious amount of vitamins and minerals and would be a beneficial part of one’s diet, I do not think that Goji berries are by any means a ”miracle food.” These berries most likely do not cure cancer or decrease wrinkles any more than the average fruit or vegetable.
Nevertheless, I purchased this 8 oz./227 g. bag of sun-dried, organic goji berries for the mere price of $9.99.
What would this superfood taste like? I was almost positive that I would find them more than palatable. After all, there are very few foods that I detest (malted milk balls are the only thing that comes to mind. bleh!), and I have LOVED every dried berry that I have tried.
As soon as I got in the car, I fished out my new purchase, opened the bag, placed a berry in my mouth…
and GAGGED.
I WANTED to like them so badly. But. These. Were. Horrible. HORRIBLE. They have a bitter initial taste that is not pleasant but is still tolerable. But the aftertaste!! Oh my. Stephen (the boyfriend) agreed. He kept asking my why I had let him try the berries when I had already tasted them and knew how bad they were.
The past three days I have experimented with adding 1 tablespoon into my morning ‘green monster’. I have had to hold my nose while drinking each one. I told you, I can’t waste food! I would rather hold my nose and finish the concoction than toss all of those healthy ingredients down the garbage disposal.
I am now left with an 8 oz bag of these things! Don’t you worry, I will be eating them (even if it takes me until 4-6-11, the expiration date), but I highly doubt that I will be purchasing them again!
Does anyone know of a way for me to eat these that would make them even slightly more palatable? What are your experiences with goji berries? Did you find them as revolting as I did? Is it worth it to eat something that tastes disgusting but has amazing health benefits?
Lily,
Goji berries taste like the potpurri my Grandma keeps in a dish in the “off-limits” room. How can I make them taste better?
Max Hodes
As a Goji lover, I can honestly say that the brand you bought is terrible. Bitter (in a bad way), overly dry, etc. Try and press at a Goji bag and see if the berries feel mushy and large. Be it they do, that’s what you want! If they feel small and dry, avoid that one.
If they sell it at your Whole Foods, try out the “Himalania Organic Dried Goji Berries” kind. I think Elf (Essential Living Foods) makes a good one as well, but it’s been a while since I had that one.
I’d say give it another go with a good brand
That is good to know! I’m going to have to give them another try.
hi :p wrt Goji berries, (i know your entry on these berries dates back to nov 2009) but maybe u still have that packet with you that expires in 2011 (“,)
anyways, asians usually add goji berries into their clear soups while boiling them. You may want to add them to your chicken noodle soup. They taste pretty nice (like raisins) once boiled. I also add abt 8 – 10 of them when i have my oatmeal for breakfast. Hope this helps :p
Padbot is 100% the way to go
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