Add richness and health to your holidays by eating beautiful, jewel-toned fruits such as cranberries, blueberries and strawberries.

It's their ruby and garnet colors that make them so good for you. Their festive deep reds and purples are produced by flavonoids, which tend to be high in phytonutrients and antioxidants.

Phytonutrients are naturally occurring nutrients found in plant-based foods.

Studies show that plant-based phytonutrient-rich foods such as berries can lower one's risk of heart disease and cancer, said Maureen Molinari, a registered dietician and certified diabetes educator of Maureen Molinari Nutrition Consultant Inc. in Jackson.

Antioxidants fight disease by inhibiting oxidation, which is known to have a damaging effect on cells and tissue.

Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and cranberries are among the top sources of antioxidants, according to the Mayo Clinic, making them a good choice for holiday fare or simply snacking.

Berries offer health benefits beyond their antioxidant content, though. They and other plant-based foods are high in fiber, protein and other vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fat and cholesterol, according to the Mayo Clinic.

"Berries are important in providing satiety, too," Molinari said. "They are an easy snack, and people like them because they are sweet and taste very good."

Plus, they're lower in carbohydrates than other fruits like bananas, she said, so you can eat a lot of berries compared with other fruit.

Here are just a few nutritional benefits of the most popular berries:

Cranberries are loaded with vitamin C and help prevent bacteria in the urinary tract from causing bladder infections, said Molinari. And for the holidays, they're just part of the tradition. Try making your own homemade cranberry sauce (see recipe below).

Raspberries and blackberries are cholesterol free, virtually fat free and low in calories, helping protect against heart disease, according to the North American Raspberry & Blackberry Association.

Blueberries rank among the highest in overall antioxidant power, rivaling spinach and kale.

Strawberries are high in vitamin C. One cup of sliced strawberries contains almost as much vitamin C as one cup of orange juice. Strawberries also have a bit of calcium, magnesium, folic acid and potassium with only 53 calories a cup.

"What's great about blueberries and strawberries is that you can buy them frozen, and it's a nice alternative in the middle of a Wyoming winter when you can't get fresh fruits," Molinari said.

Frozen berries are great for smoothies (see recipe below), and they have the same nutrient level as fresh berries, because they're picked at their peak.

"They're ripe on the vine, they're picked and they're frozen. So their nutrition is equal to that of being fresh," she said.

Molinari also recommends freezing your own fresh berries: those that you buy fresh at a farmer's market or on special at the grocery store.

"Freezing berries is simple," she said. "The trick is to make sure they are dry."

Spread the berries in a single layer on a tray after washing and drying them. Cover them with plastic wrap and freeze them until they are solid. Then pack the frozen berries in individual sealable bags, squeezing out excess air. Molinari says to just take out the individual packs as you need them. You can keep your berries frozen for up to one year.

Doctor Mark Menolascino of Integrative Medicine Healing Arts Center in Jackson, recommends sticking to organically grown berries if possible, to avoid more direct exposure to pesticides.

Unfortunately, berry pies, cobblers and other desserts that are loaded with added sugar and calories should be avoided. And those chocolate-covered cherries and chocolate-dipped strawberries? Sorry, those don't count as healthy fruit either.

But here are three healthy recipes with berries from Eating Well, a magazine Molinari highly recommends for those looking to try simple and healthy recipes that also taste good.

* Teresa Griswold is a healthy living activist who is passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of others. Visit her at www.healthylivingactivist.com. She lives in Jackson.

Cranberry, Cherry & Walnut Marmalade

Health benefits: healthy weight, lower carbs, heart healthy

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: Two hours (including cooling time)

To make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to three days.

Makes four cups.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup port or other sweet red wine

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1 12-ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries

2/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

Instructions: Combine sugar, water, port (or wine), cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium nonreactive saucepan (see note). Bring to a boil. Add cherries and cook for one minute. Stir in cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until about half the cranberries pop, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and orange zest. Let cool completely. (The marmalade will thicken as it cools.) Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Nutrition per 1/4-cup serving: 91 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 2 mg sodium; 53 mg potassium.

Note: A nonreactive pan -- stainless steel, enamel-coated or glass -- is necessary when cooking acidic foods, such as tomato or lemon, to prevent the food from reacting with the pan. Reactive pans, such as aluminum and cast-iron, can impart an off color and/or off flavor in acidic foods.

Citrus Berry Smoothie

Health benefits: High fiber, heart healthy

Prep time: Five minutes

Total: Five minutes

Makes two cups.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups fresh berries

3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk

1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions: Place berries, yogurt, orange juice, dry milk, wheat germ, honey and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutrition per serving: 432 calories; 3 g fat (2 g sat, 0 g mono); 15 mg cholesterol; 77 g carbohydrate; 20 g protein; 7 g fiber; 250 mg sodium; 617 mg potassium.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (175% daily value), Calcium (63% dv), Potassium (18% dv), Magnesium (16% dv).

Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

Health benefits: healthy weight, heart healthy

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total: 40 minutes

To make ahead: Wrap each in plastic and freeze in a freezer bag for up to one month. To reheat, remove plastic, wrap muffin in a paper towel and microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds.

Makes one dozen muffins.

Ingredients:

1 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup nonfat buttermilk (see tip, below)

1/3 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour (see shopping tip, below)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) raspberries

Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat 12 large (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the lemon in long strips. Combine the zest and sugar in a food processor; pulse until the zest is very finely chopped into the sugar. Add buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla and pulse until blended.

Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in raspberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups.

Bake the muffins until the edges and tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for five minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

Shopping tip: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole wheat. Whole-wheat pastry flour can be used as a substitute here. Both can be found in the natural-foods section of the supermarket or online from King Arthur Flour, bakerscatalogue.com.

Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make "sour milk": mix one tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to one cup milk.

Nutrition per muffin: 185 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 2 g fiber; 245 mg sodium; 42 mg potassium.

* Recipes courtesy of Eating Well magazine, www.eatingwell.com. Copyright 2009 Eating Well, Inc.