Cranberry Craze

-
Almost everyone has cranberries at holiday dinners in one form or another whether it is homemade cranberry sauce or the kind out of the can that continues to hold the shape of the can until cut into…. I have always found that to be oddly satisfying. Anyways, cranberries always seemed to be present at holiday meals but are often overlooked. At your next holiday meal, I challenge you to not overlook these babies because they are packed with some amazing health benefits! We are all probably familiar with the common benefit people use cranberries for… to get rid of or prevent UTIs. However, they have many other benefits. Cranberries are packed full of antioxidants and have many anti-inflammatory properties. They are high in vitamin C and fiber as well. There are many benefits to this health food and I challenge you to work it into your holiday meal. However, to get these health benefits, the can jelly is not your best bet. Making your own cranberry sauce with a little less sugar or purchasing one that is less processed would be better. If you have diabetes you can even make your own version with Splenda that will have very little carbohydrates in it! There are also many other healthy recipes out there that you can make that include these wonderful little berries. One of my favorites is Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal that I found on Slender Kitchen’s website. The recipe is attached below. I hope this holiday season you consider including this wonderful health food.
Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:
-       2 cups oats
-       1t cinnamon
-       ½ t salt
-       ¾ t baking powder
-       1.5 cups unsweetened apple sauce
-       1 cup unsweetened almond milk
-       2 large eggs
-       2T brown sugar
-       2T maple syrup
-       ½ t vanilla extract
-       1 cup fresh cranberries
-       1 apple, diced
Instructions:
1.     Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix oats, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together applesauce, almond milk, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract.
2.     Combine both bowls and then fold in cranberries and apples. Pour into greased 9x9 dish.
3.     Bake for 45 minutes until the oatmeal is golden brown. 
 -JM
https://foodrevolution.org/blog/food-and-health/cranberry-health-benefits-dark-side-of-cranberry-farming/

https://www.slenderkitchen.com/recipe/cranberry-apple-baked-oatmeal

Comments

  1. ABDecember 2, 2019 at 5:54 AM

    I do not enjoy classic cranberry sauce (homemade or canned) at holiday dinners. This Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal sounds absolutely amazing and is a great way to include this awesome food into my diet. I will have to give it a try, thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are All Sugars Created Equal?

-
Image
Are All Sugars Created Equal?  I think one of the most confusing nutrition topics for people is sugar. With so many conflicting stories out there, it’s difficult to separate the facts from the fiction. Not to mention, the types of sugars are endless. How do we know what’s best for our bodies? White or brown sugar? Cane or raw? Should we just go with Stevia instead? Is it even okay to consume artificial sweeteners? Should we avoid foods with high amounts of natural sugar in them? Each answer only seems to lead to another question!  Let’s start off with distinguishing the purpose of sugar in the first place. Do our bodies even need it? The short answer is yes! Sugars are carbohydrates (what we commonly call “carbs”), one of the three main macronutrients that our bodies need for fuel to function and survive. One of the major ways to categorize sugar is by separating the “natural” sugars from the “added” sugars. Natural sugars are, well, naturally found in foods. They give us the energy th
Read more

Do you struggle with pre and post exercise nutrition?

-
Image
What should i eat before and after a workout? First things first…carbohydrates, proteins and fats are important for the body before  and after exercise. Exercising muscle preferentially uses carbohydrates from stored glycogen, but fats are also an important fuel source for energy production during exercise. Fats and carbohydrates are the two major fuel sources during exercise. Fats must be translocated and broken down from their storage form before they are used. Typically there is enough carbohydrate stored as muscle glycogen for exercise but as muscle glycogen stores decline, the skeletal muscle will then use some amino acids (basic components of all protein). More specifically, the amino acid leucine is used for energy.              It is important to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates exercise to delay fatigue and minimize gastrointestinal distress. It is also important to consume enough fluids to prevent hypohydration. Now, lets talk about pre-exercise me
Read more