Thanksgiving is just a day away -- do you have your list of thankfuls ready? Better get a handle on what you're thankful for before Grandma asks you to share at the table of turkey. If you're coming up short, here's a suggestion: Give thanks for cranberries, says the FitSugar crew.

• Just one cup of raw cranberries boast one-fourth of the RDI (Reference Daily Intake) of vitamin C for an adult. Many juices have extra vitamin C added, resulting in the full daily requirement.
• Cranberry juice -- gotta love it. It interferes with the bacteria E. coli (the stuff responsible for the most serious types of urinary tract infections). It also has a high-acid content and can help prevent kidney stones. It contains lots of vitamins and nutrients too.
  
• Cranberries contain an antioxidant that prevents plaque on the teeth.
• Cranberries taste like candy, we told you back in September. They're a whole lot healthier, though. Read more here.

When asked what thanks you are offering this Thanksgiving, consider giving cranberries some love. Fill your glass with some berry juice too and make a healthy toast to the holiday season. And don't worry about enjoying a second helping of that cranberry relish -- check out this RealAge article and find out why.

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Turkey sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, and more turkey sandwiches. Unless you get a little creative, that's what you're probably going to be facing in a few days. So plan ahead and have some tasty and healthful turkey recipes on hand.

Rob Barrett from Cooking With Dads and ParentDish posted about this fun idea -- turning your leftovers into a yummy calzone. It's not strictly for Thanksgiving, but how delish would a calzone stuffed with turkey, dressing, and fresh cranberry sauce be? (Hopefully you're using whole-grain bread for your stuffing.)

The recipes calls for four cups of flour -- I'd switch half or all of that to whole-wheat flour. Other than that, the recipe is as healthful as the foods you stuff inside of it.

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I love dried cranberries on my salads. They taste a bit like candy to me, which causes me to wonder: Can something that tastes like candy be good for me? Why, yes it can, I've just discovered. Get this: Cranberries, cranberry juice, and dried cranberries are excellent sources of antioxidants. OK, then. Good enough for me.

Here's the dirt, according to one new study: Frozen, juiced, and dried cranberries all have high levels of antioxidants. Frozen cranberries have the most, followed by dried cranberries, whole cranberry sauce (not jellied), and 100% cranberry juice. What's more, one serving of 100% cranberry juice is richer in antioxidants than a serving of Concord grape juice or red wine. Compared with other dried fruits, dried cranberries have the highest antioxidant content, followed by prunes and raisins. And dried and frozen cranberries have higher antioxidant capacities than green tea, vitamin C, and vitamin E. My salad topping is looking better and better. Read on.

One serving of cranberries provides more phenolic antioxidants than the average daily consumption of antioxidants from all fruits, says the lead study author, who reports this: "Cranberries have the highest antioxidant content among 20 commonly consumed fruits, yet they are underconsumed, ranking 16th in the US."

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I have a favorite salad I make at home. It's healthy. It's easy. It's something you might want to add to your at-home menu.

It all starts with a bed of baby spinach leaves. Then I add a handful of red grapes, sprinkle on some shredded carrots, mix in some dried cranberries, and toss in a few shaved almonds. For a dose of good protein and a serving of essential omega-3 fats, I top with salmon, which is always a leftover from a previous dinner meal.

No dressing for this salad. The juice from the grapes and the moist fish do the trick all on their own.

Which popular holiday food has all of these great health benefits and really should be a year-round staple?

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You know that Thanksgiving dinner is yummy. But did you also know that Thanksgiving dinner can boost your intake of important antioxidants? Yep, it's true, according to this article from eDiets. Want some examples? This Thanksgiving, stock up on these items (but in moderation, of course:)

• Stuffing. Did you know that bread crusts have antioxidants? Yeah, me neither. But since stuffing is chalk-full of crusts and hopefully a few vegetable too, so enjoy it.
• Cranberries. These little berries are also high in antioxidants. They're also good for your neurons. To reap their benefits best, make your own sauce instead of relying on sugar-laden canned stuff
• Drinks. Coffee, hot cocoa and red wine each are packed with antioxidants, so drink up!

Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it?

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When it comes to produce, my family is a huge fan of spring and summer harvests: strawberries, grapes, blueberries -- the sweeter and juicier, the better. Fall is ok too -- our pear tree bends under the weight of its fruit and apples are tasty dipped in peanut butter. But winter produce always leaves me a little bored and a little stymied as well.

According to this article, however, I should be paying a little more attention to those pomegranates and cranberries my grocer is so fond of. Some of the most nutritious fruits and vegetables come in season when the brightly colored summer fruits go out. Pomegranates go a long way toward promoting heart health. Not only that, they keep forever in the refrigerator. (Read here how to eat one.) Cranberries -- not just for UTI's anymore -- protect teeth and prevent tooth decay. And winter squash tops the list of the world's healthiest foods.

A general rule to follow is that the more colorful the fruit or vegetable, the more nutrients it holds, and some of the most colorful produce can be found during the winter. Now I just need a little help in preparing them. This is a great start. Anyone have any tips out there for this culinary-challenged blogger?

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It seems like this time of year most of the focus is on what not to eat, and how unhealthy all the tempting goodies surrounding us on the holiday table are. But although all foods can be bad for you if you eat too much, many of the foods that sometimes get a bad wrap are not actually all bad. Mashed potatoes, for instance, are full of vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Egg nog has calcium and protein, and "figgy pudding" has loads of nutrients like calcium, potassium, magnesium, and niacin.

See this article for 7 holiday foods and how they can be good for you. It's Christmas! You're gonna indulge, at least a little, so ya might as well feel better about it.

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Cranberries are associated mostly with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and are somewhat forgotten or overlooked the rest of the year. They have so many health benefits though that it might be worth working them into your diet more often year round. Just a short list of some of the many benefits of cranberries are:

• Cranberry juice has been shown to block urinary tract infections (no evidence at this time that it can be used to treat an already active infection).
• Cranberries contain a compound called proanthocyanidine that prevents plaque build-up on teeth. Researchers are looking into developing products to use it to prevent periodontal disease.
• In some cases, regular cranberry juice in the diet has killed the bacteria H. pylori that causes stomach cancer and ulcers.

In addition, ongoing research is supporting that cranberries and cranberry juice may have a positive affect on cholesterol, stunt tumor formation and growth, and prevent the growth of breast cancer cells in test tubes.

Not sure how processing the cranberries into that can-shaped "jelly log" affects these findings, but for all the high-fat, empty calorie splurge foods you'll have sitting on your holiday table this year (and it just wouldn't be the same without them!), you can feel a little better about the cranberries and cranberry sauce with your turkey and stuffing!

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