Blueberries vs strawberries: carbs, fiber and net carbs
Full comparison · Calories · Carbs
Per 3.5 oz (100 g), blueberries has 14.6 g of carbohydrate and strawberries has 8 g.
| Blueberries | Strawberries | |
|---|---|---|
| Total carbohydrate, 100 g | 14.6 g | 8 g |
| Fiber, 100 g | — | — |
| Net carbs, 100 g | — | — |
| Total sugars, 100 g | 9.4 g | 4.9 g |
| Carbs per serving | 14.6 g in 3.5 oz (100 g) | 8 g in 3.5 oz (100 g) |
| Net carbs per serving | — | — |
Net carbs is total carbohydrate minus fiber; it is a common counting convention, not an FDA label term. Total sugars include natural and added sugar; USDA does not separate them for these foods.
What the numbers don't tell you
Neither berry has earned the title of healthier. Strawberries carry about seven times the vitamin C, 59.6 mg against 8.1 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g), so a 1 cup (150 g) serving gives 89.4 mg, almost the whole 90 mg Daily Value. Blueberries carry roughly twice the sugars, 9.4 g against 4.9 g, mostly fructose and glucose.
Pooled across 14 trials with 632 people, blueberries improved how well blood vessels widen by 1.11 percentage points. For strawberries, one pooling of 11 trials lowered only C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation. Another, of 14 trials, found lower total cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure and a small rise in fasting blood sugar. With pooled results this mixed, the answer is still open.
Form may matter. In 9 adults, whole blueberries raised 108 urine markers above the same berries juiced, against 8 the other way. In a small trial, milk halved how much strawberry pigment reached the blood, but only when the drink was taken without a meal. The general USDA factor for frozen fruit keeps about 70% of vitamin C, near 42 mg for strawberries. Unlike grapefruit juice, blueberry juice did not significantly change blood levels of two test medicines in healthy volunteers.
Buy whichever you will actually eat, fresh or frozen. If vitamin C is the goal, strawberries win clearly.
Evidence behind this note
- Level E Raw strawberries average about 60 mg of vitamin C per 3.5 oz (100 g) (range 47 to 72 across 8 samples), roughly seven times the 8 mg of raw blueberries (range 4.3 to 11.1). USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 (Blueberries, raw; Strawberries, raw; Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid)
- Level E A cup of strawberries carries almost the whole day's vitamin C, and one berry carries a ninth of it. USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, Strawberries, raw (fdc_id 2709283)
- Level E Per 100 g raw, blueberries carry about 4.9 g fructose and 4.4 g glucose, nearly twice the 2.6 g and 2.2 g in strawberries. USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 (Blueberries, raw; Strawberries, raw; Fructose, Glucose)
- Level A In a meta-analysis of 14 RCTs (632 healthy people), eating blueberries raised flow-mediated dilation by 1.11 percentage points, with no measurable change in blood pressure. Nutr Res, 2026
- Level A Across eleven trials strawberries left blood pressure, blood lipids and blood sugar unchanged, and lowered one marker of inflammation. British Journal of Nutrition, 2020
- Level A A second pooled analysis of overlapping trials found the cholesterol effect the first one missed, and also found blood sugar going the wrong way. Food Funct, 2019
- Level B In a crossover trial in 9 adults eating 8.8 oz (250 g) of blueberries, whole fruit left 108 urinary ions higher than juiced fruit 2 hours later, against 8 higher after juice. Br J Nutr, 2018
- Level B In a small randomized trial, a strawberry drink made with milk instead of water cut the relative bioavailability of strawberry anthocyanins by about 50% when taken without a meal, with no such effect alongside a meal. Food Funct, 2017
- Level E By the USDA retention table for Fruits and Fruit Juices, frozen fruit keeps about 70% of its vitamin C and 90% of its potassium, with iron and magnesium unchanged. USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007), Retn_Code 156
- Level C In healthy volunteers, blueberry juice did not significantly change blood levels of buspirone or flurbiprofen, unlike grapefruit juice, which doubled buspirone exposure. Br J Clin Pharmacol, 2013
Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Read more about these foods
- Blueberries and strawberries: modest numbers from many small trials
- Blueberries: vessels yes, memory unsettled, frozen unmeasured
- Strawberries: a cup is almost a whole day of vitamin C
What the studies say
Rankings and guides
- Carbohydrates: what it does and how much you need
- Fiber: what it does and how much you need
- Which foods are highest in dietary fiber?
- Which foods are highest in carbohydrate?
- Added sugar: what it does and what the evidence shows
More comparisons
Where the numbers come from
- Blueberries: USDA FoodData Central, Blueberries, raw, FDC ID 2346411 · all forms of blueberries
- Strawberries: USDA FoodData Central, Strawberries, raw, FDC ID 2346409 · all forms of strawberries
Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.