Honestly Cranberry

I've become a big consumer of salads. And my tastes in salads have evolved. A few years ago, a salad made at home meant usually iceberg, romaine or leaf lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, croutons and ranch dressing and sometimes a few other additions, like cucumber or celery. It was heavy on veggies, but the addition of ranch dressing and tons of croutons were the not so good part. 

Since then I have really learned to like many different kinds of greens and to always add a chewy texture, such as dried cranberries or raisins and something crunchy, like pecans, walnuts or almonds.  I've upgraded my cheese selections to feta, gorgonzola or goat cheese. Dressings have evolved from the creamy ones to vinaigrettes.

I always through thought the dried cranberries were a healthy choice but never really examined labels until after I stopped at this booth at the Good Food Festival. Once I did I was surprised to see "sugar" added in the ingredients as well as sunflower oil. A 1/4 cup serving has 26 grams of sugars and 33 grams of carbohydrates. Never expected that from a handful of dried cranberries. Honestly Cranberry has no added sugars, juices or oils. It makes for a tarter taste, but when it's combined with candied pecans or a raspberry vinaigrette, it's not very noticeable. I was glad to come across them at the fest and learn this crazy hidden secret to what I thought was an all-natural product. The Wisconsin grown product is available by online at www.honestlycranberry.com.