November 13, 2013
By Lisa Snow
Personal Trainer in Manhattan
People often associate the holidays with unhealthy food (or just plain overeating), but one traditional Thanksgiving food is just as nutritious as it is pretty. Cranberries are such a high antioxidant food that many people have started eating them year round. However, Thanksgiving is as good an excuse as any to get started! 
While cranberries are healthy for everyone, they’re especially useful for people recovering from injuries, since they have natural anti-inflammatory properties.
Here are 3 great ways to add the dark red beauty of cranberries to your diet:
– Dried cranberries are great by themselves, tossed onto granola, or stirred into trail mix with raw nuts. If you get Newman’s Own brand dried cranberries, all profits go to charity. Talk about holiday spirit! Although all dried cranberries do have some added sugar, they’re still a healthier snack than many other kinds of dried fruit. Pick them up at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, orAmazon.com
– Cranberry sauce can be very nutritious if it’s made from fresh cranberries, not canned. Whole Foods makes a beautiful orange-cranberry sauce, or you can make your own from fresh berries. Try pouring cranberry sauce over boiled quinoa for a new twist on the classics.
– Cranberry juice is a lovely addition to protein shakes and homemade sorbets (try it in the Vita-Mix with frozen bananas and frozen blueberries). Just be sure to buy cranberry juice that’s organic and has NO added sugar.
