All holidays can play havoc on our nerves and our wallets-lucky for us so many retailers are trying to entice us with their specials at this time of year! Be flexible & watch your local flyers and you will come out fine, nerves & wallet intact.

Turkeys & hams are priced low now and some of the more unusual fare such as duck, pheasant, goose, quail, elk, moose & even buffalo are available at this time of year. If you don’t see what you want, ask, most grocers are glad to bring in special orders, if you give them enough notice. Protein doesn’t have to be at the centre of the plate, fabulous meals can be made at the buffet tables from the abundance at this time of year.

No matter what your choice for the holidays is, the foods we’ve come to love have come through the years of family celebrations. Traditions come through the generations and us in Canada , embrace not just traditions but new ideas & cultures. Old-time Canadian Christmas dinner always came with a dish of mashed turnip (or rutabagas, depending on your background) and one of Oprah's favorites, the good old sweet potato (or yam). Carrots & peas, & mashed potatoes round out the top 5. Root vegetables get a sweeter when touched by a hint of frost, so now is the best time. These old time staples were once the only fresh choices in the winter months; so it’s not surprising they are an integral part of our traditional celebration meals. They're nutritious, delicious, and nutrient dense-don’t forget nutrient dense means you are getting great value for your calories spent. Roots are the plant’s energy storage units and that is where most of everything they need to survive the winter is stored; unlock these nutrients for your body-no guilt eating! Just watch the sauces & butter.

Nuts is also nutrient dense, including vitamins D & E, zinc, calcium, selenium, protein & unsaturated fats, lots of energy to start the next crop. Freshly roasted nuts & chestnuts are a great alternative to the empty calories of fried chips & dips.

Cranberry lovers can enjoy the berries not just as a second fiddle to the turkey! What would trendy “Sex in the City” types drink if it were not for the Cosmopolitan? Cranberries make a great holiday punch, with or without alcohol-make two versions-make the kids feel special with their own “grown up” punch. Try a few of our holiday beverage recipes and don’t forget, its people like yourselves who test & rate all the recipes at Foodie Smart. In addition to the great taste, they are good for you!

The fresh red cranberry (when compared against other common fruits) in its pure form – contains among the highest quantity of disease-fighting phenols, an antioxidant that is thought to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, stroke and heart disease. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania and reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. The British Dental Health Foundation recommends cranberry juice to help prevent the formation of plaque responsible for tooth decay and gum disease. This in turn was based on findings from the University of Rochester that showed cranberry juice stops harmful bacteria from sticking to the teeth. The fruits are already consumed for their benefits on heart health and for urinary tract health. France has recently approved the health claim that cranberries can ‘help reduce the adhesion of certain E.coli bacteria to the urinary tract walls’.

So they reduce the risks of chronic diseases, help keep your mouth & teeth healthy, works with your body to keep the urinary tract clean &….they taste good! What more can you ask of a little bog berry? Thanks to their health rendering properties& fresh flavour, cranberry popularity has increased beyond a traditional holiday accompaniment and so has world wide production has increased dramatically. Do you know what that means? Well for cranberry lovers: mass production means increased efficiencies which mean better prices for the consumers. Historically, cranberries have never been more affordable. From October onwards we are able to buy them as fresh fruit in addition to the canned, jellied & juice that we can have all year round. This is the absolute best time to enjoy them, height of antioxidants & vitamins and at historical lows…throw a few bags into the freezer to enjoy all year round.

Now for desserts, of course the cranberry is great as part of the dessert, whether on its own or mixed with other fruits; right now, fresh bananas & pineapples are great buys on special. If your favourite fruits are not in season, consider using frozen, canned or dried versions in your pies, compotes, and fruitcakes. Start a new tradition; make a fruitcake people actually want to eat! Use only your favourite fruits, try a cranberry & orange combination; or a dried currant, raisin & dried cranberries; or cranberries & canned peaches; or use your imagination, just use real fruit, not the odd coloured stuff that could never have occurred in nature. Another option is a fast & easy crumble, keep a few staples on hand (flour & butter) & your favourite fruits frozen, canned or dried and you will be ready to whip up a quick crumble for any unexpected guests.

So, to save time & money at this time of year or any other time when production is low, consider using frozen, dried or canned. Canners & packers process the fruits at the peak of the season (coincidentally, at peak of flavour & vitamin content) and make it available to us during the off-season. This applies not only to fruit but to vegetables as well, so with a little planning, we will be able eat well not only during holidays but all year round.

Judy Chong, Head Foodie