“The Indians and English use them much, boyling them with Sugar for Sauce to eat with their Meat, and it is a delicious sauce.” John Josselyn, while visiting New England in 1663

How can you make your Thanksgiving meal healthier?

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.  (Gen 1:11; KJV)

Since this is the first week of November, there are three “recipe Tuesdays” before Thanksgiving.  Each week I’ll feature a recipe that can be made for your Thanksgiving meal.  We’ll begin with the cranberry.  

The name “cranberry” derives from the Pilgrim name for the fruit, “craneberry”, so called because the small, pink blossoms that appear in the spring resemble the head and bill of a Sandhill crane. European settlers adopted the Native American uses for the fruit and found the berry a valuable bartering tool.

Contrary to popular belief, cranberries do not grow in water. Instead, they grow on vines in beds layered with sand, peat, gravel and clay. These beds are commonly known as “bogs.”   However, the bogs are flooded in the fall to facilitate harvest and again during the winter to protect against low temperatures.

Cranberries contain bacteria-blocking compounds that are believed to be helpful in preventing urinary tract infections, and in blocking the bacteria responsible for ulcers and certain oral bacteria that can lead to gum disease.

In addition to their urinary tract health benefits, cranberries also contain phytochemicals that assist in maintaining health.  Some of these phytochemicals act as antioxidants, compounds that help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body. These antioxidants reduce oxidative damage to cells that can lead to cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative diseases.  For example, anthocyanins, compounds that give cranberries their red color, are powerful antioxidants that may be stronger than vitamin E.

When buying or drinking cranberry juice, it’s important to buy only pure, unsweetened cranberry juice, usually found in health food stores.  The “cocktail” varieties are loaded with high fructose corn syrup and sugar, negating any positive benefits from the cranberry.  If you need to add any sweetener, try adding some organic apple juice to the pure, unsweetened cranberry juice.

You’ve heard me mention over and over how beneficial it is for us to eat more raw fruits and vegetables.  Most of our Thanksgiving meal consists of cooked food.  So, today’s feature recipe is a raw cranberry relish using some other wonderful fruits as well.  Enjoy.

Prayer Power
Father, thank You for Your grand design and for not only making wonderful tasting foods but ones that are pretty to the eye as well.  May You be glorified as we begin to reflect on what we are thankful for during this time of year.

Link of the Day
Cranberry Relish

Blessings on you as you look for ways to have a healthy Thanksgiving meal.