Food & Recipes

5 Winter Superfoods: Cranberries: Nutrient Profile

More than one-third of the cranberries grown in the United States are made into juice. Fresh whole berries may be purchased, but are often expensive because they have to be hand-picked to avoid the damage caused by machine-picking. Native Americans used cranberries for both their medicinal and natural preservative powers. They brewed cranberry mixtures to draw poison from arrow wounds. They also pounded cranberries into a paste and mixed the paste with dried meat to extend the life of the meat. The name cranberry was given to this plant because the Pilgrims believed the plant looked like the head of a sandhill crane and was originally named "craneberry." Over time, the "e" was dropped.

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.