Raise your hand if cranberry sauce is one of your staple Thanksgiving foods.
If your hand is in the air right now, I’m sure you’re not alone- and that’s a very good thing because cranberries have incredible health benefits.
In fact, here are ten great reasons why you should say, “Please pass the cranberry sauce” on Thanksgiving and why you might want to consider making cranberries a part of your diet year-round.
1. The vitamin C found in cranberries helps to keep the immune system strong, fights nasty wrinkles, and can help wounds to heal faster.
2. They protect our hearts by lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and raising our good cholesterol (HDL) levels.
3. They’re great for our oral health and can lower the likelihood of getting cavities and plaque.
4. Cranberries can improve the health of our eyes by reducing our risk of developing cataracts.
5. Eating cranberries can protect us from certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer.
6. Cranberries, especially cranberry juice, can help to fight urinary tract infections.
7. They are loaded with antioxidants. You know, those things that help to keep us looking young.
8. Regularly drinking cranberry juice (not just in Cosmopolitans) can lower our risk of stomach cancer and prevent ulcers.
9. Cranberries can slow the growth of tumors and may possibly even prevent them.
10. They are a great source of fiber and can therefore assist us in maintaining a healthy weight. How many holiday foods can do that?
One of my favorite holiday dishes is a delicious casserole, and of course, it contains a healthy dose of cranberries. By the way, it tastes even more amazing when served warm with some vanilla ice cream.
Apple Cranberry Dessert Casserole
(serves 6)
3 apples of your choice, cored and chopped
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup pure cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter (I use Earth Balance.)
1/2 cup almond flour (but any kind of four would work)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the apples and cranberries into a large bowl. Add the sugar and cinnamon and toss to coat.
In a separate bowl, add the butter, flour, and brown sugar. Mix everything together until crumbly.
Pour the mixture apple and cranberry mixture into an 8×8 casserole dish or deep baking pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray or lightly buttered.  Pour the brown sugar mixture evenly on top of the fruit.
Cover and bake for approximately 50 minutes.
Alright, you probably shouldn’t eat casserole every day (especially with ice cream), and the traditional cranberry sauce that your grandmother always served right out of the can isn’t the healthiest thing in the world.
Why not try some of these recipes as well?
Turkey tenderloin with cranberry-shallot sauce
You now have lots of great excuses to load your plate up with second and third helpings of any dish containing cranberries. Enjoy!
