Healthful holiday eatin’

Sure, the holiday season is filled with cookies, candy canes and all manner of sweet and tempting treats, but some traditional holiday foods can actually help boost your health. While the Internet is filled with lists of what to avoid and tips to curb cravings, Care2.com provides a list of some seasonal treats you can indulge in without guilt:

Apples: Not only will the vitamins and minerals help keep the doctor away, but they also contain a phytonutrient called malic acid that helps your body produce energy.

Beets: Beets are high in folate, manganese, potassium, vitamin C and a cancer-fighting phytonutrient. Holistic health practitioners swear by the vegetable’s blood-cleansing and liver-purifying properties.

Cranberries: Except for the sugar-laden packaged juice, cranberries are very nutritious and can help treat urinary-tract infections.

Pomegranates: Those delicious, juice-filled red seeds are loaded with antioxidants and immune-boosting nutrients that help do everything from protecting your heart, liver and kidneys, to fighting allergies.

Squash: It’s packed with complex carbohydrates, fiber and beta-carotene.

Sweet Potatoes: Naturally delicious and much better for you than plain potatoes, sweet potatoes are packed with beta carotene, vitamins B6 and C, iron, magnesium and potassium.

Walnuts: They are packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, which help with everything from supporting a healthy immune system to balancing your mood—which can be especially important during the hectic holiday season.