Many of you are worried about the siren song of stuffing, this upcoming holiday weekend. Fear not: indulging for a day, or even two (leftovers, anyone?) will not necessarily mess with your health, or with your wellness goals. However, there’s one traditional side dish that might, and it’s not the sweet potato casserole. You read that right. I’m talking about … cranberry sauce! Say what?!
Of course, cranberries are nutritional powerhouses. They are low-glycemic and high in fiber. Recent studies have found over two dozen antioxidant plant nutrients in cranberries, which can quench inflammation and have been linked to lower fasting blood glucose and triglyceride levels. You may also have heard of their beneficial role in preventing UTIs.
So what’s the problem with cranberry sauce? Nothing, if you make your own. If you resort to the traditional canned version, you have to contend with two potential health risks: Cans lined with BPA (bad news for your brain, prostate and blood pressure, and extra-tough to detox for small kids) are one of them. High fructose corn syrup is the other big one. With corn in the name, you might think that we’re talking about a real food here, but nothing could be further from the truth. HFCS is an industrial “food” product that’s highly refined, much sweeter than sugar, and more rapidly absorbed into your blood stream. Unlike sugar, it does not require enzymatic digestion but goes straight to the liver, where it not only spikes your insulin levels but also triggers a process called lipogenesis (literally, the production of fat). In fact, HFCS has now replaced alcohol as the main culprit in a condition called fatty liver disease. As if that weren’t enough, instead of providing your body with nutrients, HFCS requires precious vitamins and minerals just to be processed. Sounds delicious, eh?
So, where does that leave you, this Thanksgiving? If I can make a suggestion, I’d highly recommend that you try your hand at making your own sauce, this year. It’s so easy, you’ll be wondering why you’ve ever bought the canned, jellied stuff. It takes all of 15 minutes to make, keeps well in the fridge, and is as easy to make from frozen berries, as it is from fresh ones. Now, if that still sounds daunting, try and find a jar of organic cane sugar sweetened sauce (available at Sprouts, for instance – they even have a house brand that’s currently on sale). You’ll avoid the BPA, the HFCS, and sugar made from genetically modified beets (which are the industry standard). Win, win, win, if you ask me.
Here’s my super-easy 3-ingredient No Junk Cranberry Sauce recipe, if you’re interested:
Takes: 15 minutes
Makes: 2 8oz. jelly jars full (4-8 servings)
Ingredients:
1 (12 oz.) bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup filtered water
1 pinch pink salt
Steps
- Rinse the cranberries well. Pick through the berries and discard any squishy ones.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, maple syrup and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened to your liking, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat. Let cool, taste, and add optional extras or a little more sweetener. Enjoy right away, or keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Easy enough, don’t you think? If you don’t have any maple syrup on hand, or you don’t like the taste, you can use honey, or even some coconut sugar (still beats the high fructose corn syrup). If you’d like to get fancy, add a shot of port wine, some freshly grated orange zest, a cinnamon stick, or a tea egg filled with mulling spices to the simmering mix.
Obviously, any leftovers are a delicious accompaniment for, well, leftovers. I usually make a double batch and enjoy the chunky sauce on top of some creamy Greek yogurt for breakfast, sprinkled with chopped pecans. We also like to stir a spoonful or two into a bowl of apple sauce, for extra tartness. This sauce pairs well with goat cheese and brie, and it’s delicious swirled into muffins, or as the mystery ingredient in savory sauces (excellent with venison-based dishes, and even for a twist on BBQ sauce). Either way, I dare predict that your yummy homemade cranberry sauce will go fast…
Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving!
