If you incorporate just one new food into your holiday cooking, I hope you will consider adding artichokes to your menu.  The health benefits of this green superfood are truly amazing and demonstrate that the artichoke is indispensible to party-goers regardless of the season.

A few reasons to add artichokes to your holiday meals:

• Artichokes are packed with fiber.  One whole artichoke provides 25% of the daily fiber requirement.
• They are great to pair with holiday drinks.  Artichokes marinated in olive oil are delicious, and their unique concentration of antioxidants protect the liver and regenerate liver tissue that may be damaged from too much holiday cheer in the form of alcoholic beverages.
• According to a USDA study the artichoke was shown to be the vegetable with the highest levels of antioxidants.
• They decrease bloating and puffiness by functioning as a natural diuretic.

With all of its great qualities, there’s plenty of reasons to find room for the artichoke at the Thanksgiving and holiday table.

How have you incorporated artichokes into your diet?