I’m a huge cherry fan, always have been. I’ve teamed up with Love Fresh Cherries (the trade body that represents cherry growers in the UK) to tell you why I love them so much.

Cherries are one of the most beloved fruits and for good reason! They not only offer a great taste but they’re also packed with vitamins, minerals and plant compounds with powerful health effects.

Whenever we set off on a little family walk, we always pack our bags with suitable snacks. It’s usually Emma and I that give in first and ask for something!

100 grams of cherries provide 25% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. This essential vitamin (also known as ascorbic acid) has loads of benefits including the growth, development and repair of all body tissues. It’s involved in many body functions, including the absorption of iron, the immune system, wound healing, and the maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.

Sitting down with snacks usually attracts our dog Yogi, haha! He sits ever so patiently, despite never getting his teeth into anything from our bag!

For this particular walk, I told Emma we were taking along some cherries and we would be taking photographs. She couldn’t resist bringing her cherry hat. How cute!

Emma was certainly happy it was snack time and cherries made the list. Did you know that one cup (roughly 154 grams) of cherries provide:

• Calories: 97
• Protein: 2 grams
• Carbs: 25 grams
• Fiber: 3 grams
• Vitamin C: 18% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Potassium: 10% of the DV
• Copper: 5% of the DV
• Manganese: 5% of the DV

Cherries are a rich food source of the hormone melatonin, which helps to promote healthy sleep patterns. If you and your children are struggling with sleep lately, give cherries a whirl.

Cherries are low in calories and they also have a low glycemic load, which means they’re a perfect treat for balancing blood sugar and maintaining a healthy weight. Sweet cherries are a good source of dietary potassium with approximately 260mg of potassium per cup. Promoting diets high in potassium alongside a reduction in sodium could play a role with improving blood pressure control.

A popular walk for us in Durham is Low Burnhall nature reserve. It’s a great walk with some stunning views. They also have some lovely wicker sculptures dotted around the place and the photo above is of the kids sat next to the Wicker Man.

Emma loves cherries and would quite happily sit here and eat the whole bag!

You can’t have a family photo shoot without the pooch getting involved! Unfortunately for Yogi, he can’t enjoy these delicious cherries.

Adam realised he wouldn’t get any more cherries unless he joined in!

After a family day out, we usually chill out in the evening with a family film. We’re currently making our way through all the Harry Potters. If you’d like to read more about our relaxed evenings, Amy has written a blog post about it here.

Thanks for reading my blog post and I hope you consider cherries as a go-to snack when out and about or relaxing in front of the TV on an evening.

*Disclaimer: This was a collaborative post with Love Fresh Cherries. All words and opinions are my own.