Winter Healthy Pick: Pomegranates

As we slowly become inundated with Christmas commercials and holiday music, I thought this would be an ideal time to explore a select superfood for the winter! As a refresher, a “superfood” is just a fancy word to describe a food with an extraordinary nutritional profile along with associated health benefits.

Pomegranates will be my featured superfood because they are not only sweet and refreshing, but they also pack a nice nutritional punch! You can spot this fantastic fruit in supermarkets between September and January. When selecting your fruit, look for pomegranates that are unblemished and with firm skin. Remember that heavier fruits are juicier!

Nutritional Benefits:

• Pomegranates are high in antioxidants (aka polyphenols), which are anti-inflammatory and reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and boost your immunity.
  oPomegranates have at least twice the antioxidants as blueberries, cranberries, red wine, oranges or green tea per serving.
• One whole pomegranate contains 230 calories, 11g of fibre, 20% of one’s daily potassium and 50% of one’s daily vitamin C requirement.
  oSnack size serving is 1/4 fruit: 75 calories, 4g of fibre and carbohydrate to boost your energy level.
• Pomegranates are a good source of potassium, which helps maintain or achieve healthy blood pressure and reduces plaque buildup in arteries.
• You are best to eat the actual fruit itself opposed to drinking the juice to benefit from the fibre, which is removed in juice form.

How to De-Seed a Pomegranate:

To extract seeds, cut into quarters and then fill a large bowl with water. Place quarters in the bowl. Gently invert each quarter to push the seeds outward and into the water, trying not to squish them. Once complete, drain water and discard skin.

Recipe Ideas!

• Sprinkle seeds on salad with other fruits, nuts or seeds as well cheese
• Incorporate into stuffing or rice pilaf recipes
• Add pomegranate juice to cranberry sauce for turkey
• Make chocolate bark with pomegranate seeds and candied ginger
• Add pomegranate seeds to your smoothie

Bottom Line: Enjoy your winter superfood by adding pomegranates to your diet! Let me know how you like to eat your pomegranates 🙂