Cranberries: Year-Round Superfood
You Can Get the Antioxidant Benefits of Cranberries Long After the Holidays
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
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:
- 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
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