Earlier this week, as I was perusing the shelves of my one true love Whole Foods, these little gems found their way into my cart.
Obviously someone has been munching 
Let’s talk about how! and why!
Pomegranates earned superfood-status centuries ago. The Babylonians used to eat them before battle believing they made them invincible. Ancient Egyptians were known to bury themselves with the fruit. Obviously, the Babylonians were a little off about what this fruit is capable of, and who knows what the Egyptians had up their sleeves. But, don’t despair, they were still on to something.
Like most foods of this color (raspberries, blackberries, cranberries) these little guys are packed with anti-oxidants, almost 3x the amount in a glass of red wine. To understand that significance, picture a bike. If it’s outside too long, it starts rusting. Why? Because of oxidation, oxygen molecules literally eating away at it (if curious, they’re “eating” at the bike’s electrons).
A similar process happens in your body every day. So anti-oxidants combat these processes and return cells to their normal state, preventing diseases that grow from damaged cells (like cancer).
Some other pomegranate benefits? Heart Protection. Fighting Osteoarthritis (a painful joint disorder). Warding off Prostate Cancer. Lowering Bad Cholesterol…Hooked yet? No? Alright, I’ll continue. They also lower blood pressure, fight breast cancer, and protect newborn brains.
So let’s eat already!
They’ve been adding the oh-so-perfect pop of flavor to my morning yogurt bowl. I spoon about 2 tablespoons (~20kcals) on top of some Chobani greek yogurt, slice a small banana, drizzle some honey, dust on a bit of cinnamon and dig in! With the other flavors blending so well together, these stick out in the best way possible.
Another use? They make for a phenomenal salad topper.
Once spring rolls around, we’re all tempted to garnish with strawberries and blueberries, but try mixing it up with these. They take my usual (albeit, boring) salad of greens, cottage cheese, and nuts to an entirely new level.
They’re crunchy, they’re bursting with flavor and juice, and you’ll feel pretty darn-tootin’ good about yourself while eating them!
