We know cranberry sauce as a staple at the holidays, but cranberries are a superfood that you should enjoy all year round.
Cranberries have vitamin C and fiber, and are only 45 calories per cup. In disease-fighting antioxidants, cranberries outrank nearly every fruit and vegetable–including strawberries, spinach, broccoli, red grapes, apples, raspberries, and cherries.
One cup of whole cranberries has 8,983 total antioxidant capacity. Only blueberries can top that: Wild varieties have 13,427; cultivated blueberries have 9,019.
While they are available frozen year-round, in fall and winter you can buy cranberries fresh. Fresh cranberries stored in a tightly-sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator will last up to two months. But be careful: If one starts to get soft and decay, the others will, too–so remove soft ones before you store them. Cooked cranberries can last up to a month in a covered container in the fridge.
SLIPPING CRANBERRIES INTO YOUR DIET
Here are a few ideas for getting these antioxidant powerhouses into your life:
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- Add dried cranberries to your favorite cereal
- Drink 100% fruit juice that includes cranberries
- Sneak cranberries into blueberry muffins for added color and flavor
- Pair cranberries with chicken and pork dishes
CRANBERRY APPLE CRISP RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
For 9 servings
- 5 cups tart apples (about 6 medium apples), pared and sliced
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/3 cup sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
Layer apples and cranberries in pan, sprinkling with sugar as you layer.
Make topping: Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Work in butter until light and crumbly. Sprinkle topping evenly over apples and cranberries.
Bake 45 minutes or until apples are tender.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
CALORIES 210 (25% from fat); PROTEIN 1g; FAT 6g; CARBOHYDRATES 39g; CHOLESTEROL 15mg; FIBER 3g; SODIUM 64mg.