9 Healthiest Ways to Eat Pomegranate

Pomegranate seeds, which are surrounded by a fleshy layer called an aril, are an excellent source of antioxidants. They can add fresh texture, bright colors and extra taste to a wide range of dishes.

1. Mix them into salads

Pomegranate seeds are juicy and slightly tart, adding a pop of flavor to a wide variety of salads. Add them to a lettuce or spinach mix with plenty of vegetables and other fruits, like fresh orange slices or diced apples. They provide crunch, a lively taste and lots of nutrients.

2. Blend them into smoothies

Add the seeds rather than the pomegranate juice to your blender if you want to get more fiber from your fruit. Try them with pineapple, banana and yogurt (or your favorite smoothie base). For a smoothie, use about 1/2 cup of seeds. Sprinkle a few on top to make your smoothie colorful, healthy and tasty.

3. Glamorous desserts

The deep color and brightness of pomegranate seeds are an easy way to jazz up a dessert, from a traditional trifle to fruit and nut yogurt.

You can cook them in a cobbler with apples or peaches. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt and add some pomegranate seeds and chopped mint leaves on top.

Pomegranates can even pair with chocolate desserts, adding a contrasting flavor.

4. Swirl in mocktails

Pomegranate seeds can make a party or holiday drink more festive and colorful as well as healthier:

• Mix ginger ale with soda water, add crushed mint, lime, and pomegranate juice (squeezed from the seeds or store) and you have a healthy, mojito-like drink without the alcohol.
• Add a little juice to a non-alcoholic punch with orange juice and other slices of fresh fruit, with a few bright, crunchy seeds floating on top

5. Create a sauce

To make two pints of sauce, you will need about 10 pomegranates:

• Extract the juice from the arils by putting them in a blender then draining them, or you can crush them in a bag and squeeze the juice or strain it. Aim for four cups of juice.
• Put it in a saucepan, add 1/2 cup of lemon juice and a cup of sugar and simmer for about five to 10 minutes.
• Let it cool and pour it over fruit and yogurt, or drizzle it over butternut squash or other root vegetables, with some toasted chopped pecans.

6. Make a relish or salsa

Pomegranate seeds add fresh notes to your condiment or dip.

• Make a relish with chopped arils, ginger, orange zest, honey and a pinch of salt.
• To make pomegranate salsa, chop green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, and avocado, then add olive oil.

Serve as you typically would a relish or salsa.

7. Add to your protein

Pomegranates can add spark to basic chicken dishes:

• Try them in a chicken salad with chopped walnuts and tangerine pieces.
• Mix the seeds with the honey and glaze the chicken thighs or salmon.
• You can try them in a roast to add some spice.
• Add Mexican-inspired shredded beef dishes for a touch of originality.

8. Sprinkle on toast or oatmeal

An easy way to get the antioxidants and fiber found in pomegranates is to include them in your breakfast:

• Sprinkle them on avocado toast.
• Add them to your oatmeal.
• Mix them with cottage cheese and other kinds of fruit, like berries.

9. Eat them plain

You don’t need to do anything with the pomegranate seeds once you remove them from the husk. They are delicious on their own, or perhaps mixed with some pistachios.

You can also dry pomegranate seeds in a low oven until a little crisp and eat them like nuts, or freeze them for future use.

How to select and prepare pomegranates

Look for a dark red fruit with shiny skin that scrapes easily and has slightly flat sides.

Consider food prep gloves and a top you don’t mind getting juice on, since pomegranates can be messy:

• Cut off the top without the stem and use a knife to score the skin around the edge to mark the two halves.
• You can put the pomegranate in a bowl of water, which will prevent the juice from spilling out.
• Separate it into two halves.
• You can remove the seeds in water or place the sections, seed side down, on a board and hit them with a large spoon or other kitchen utensil to knock out the seeds.
• If there is white pith, remove it as it is bitter.

Pomegranate Nutrition

One cup of pomegranate seeds has the following nutritional values:

• Calories: 144
• Fat: 2 grams (g) (saturated fat 0.21 g, trans fat 0 g)
• Cholesterol: 0 milligrams (mg)
• Sodium: 5.2 mg
• Carbohydrates: 32.5g
• Fiber: 7g
• Sugar: 23.8g
• Protein: 2.9g
• Vitamin C: 17.7 mg
• Iron: 0.52 mg
• Calcium: 17.4 mg
• Potassium: 410.6mg
• Phosphorus: 62.6 mg

Pomegranates are an excellent source of polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants. They contain three times more antioxidants than green tea.