3 healthy reasons to eat cranberries

There is one food that for most of us only appears for about a month, but luckily it’s that time of year now.

Cranberries, that staple of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners may be about the healthiest thing on the table for those meals. (Oh, and they look good strung on your Christmas tree.)

There are at least three good reasons to have an extra helping of cranberries at Christmas dinner.

1. Studies have linked cranberries to inhibiting cancerous tumors and lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol.

2. These berries are also rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants.

3. Cranberries also contain tannins, which act as a natural antibacterial agent to fight urinary tract and E. coli infections.

Just be careful that the cranberries you are eating are not overloaded with sugar or part of a sweet salad with whipped cream.

Aside from holiday dining, here are a couple ways to incorporate cranberries in more of your meals.

For a salad, place 2 cups fresh cranberries in a blender along with 1/2 cup of pineapple chunks, a quartered skinned orange, a sweet apple and a handful or two of walnuts or pecans. Blend until well mixed but still chunky. Dice 3-4 stalks of celery, and add to the cranberry mixture and stir till just combined.

Combine unsweetened cranberry in equal parts with your favorite fruit juice and sparkling mineral water for a lightly sweetened, refreshing spritzer. Or, when your home and not driving, cranberry juice is a great mixer for a more adult beverage.

Sprinkle a handful of dried cranberries over a bowl of hot oatmeal or any cold cereal.

A small bag of dried cranberries kept in the cab of your truck may be that afternoon or late night snack you’ve needed.
Try this recipe for healthier cranberry sauce