Now that the vegetable gardens have been harvested, and the rich berry assortments from our mountain meadows have been picked, we are ready for some scrumptious healthy eats!

Whether it’s blueberries, salmon berries, cranberries, red currants or raspberries picked from your garden or mountain meadows, they have many positive benefits beyond just tasting amazing:

1. They are all rich in vitamin C
2. They are loaded with antioxidants
3. And according to the Better Health Channel, they scour out the free radicals resulting from the process of oxidation

These uninhibited free radicals can contribute to cell membrane damage, heart disease and certain cancers. While berries are no panacea in prevention, they’re nothing short of a delicious solution that neutralizes and reduces our risk. Throw some raspberries in your morning cereal or toss some blueberries in your afternoon smoothie, or just eat them straight - they’re a win-win

Let’s talk about carrots! This vegetable is one of the richest, if not THE richest for beta carotene. Carrots grow quite well in our short growing season. Loaded with vitamin A, carrots improve the quality of one’s immunity system as well as one’s vision. Besides being an important ingredient in a delicious cake, they make an easy salad that you serve to guests:

1. Grated carrots
2. Add 1 can of drained crushed pineapple
3. Add a handful of cran-raisins
4. Throw in some cinnamon and a smidgeon of honey – and voila

Green cabbage grows in massive sizes in this state. Why not take advantage of the health benefit of its glucosinolate, an antioxidant that is known to prevent cancer? Many German grandmothers love to make a meatloaf mixture and wrap chunks of this with cooked cabbage leaves and simmer on the stove. You just cannot improve on grandma’s cooking, but you can use your own fresh-picked garden produce and thus enhance the flavor along with contributing to your immune system’s health.

The Alaskan squash, pumpkins and other gourds top the charts, and are internationally renowned as the world’s largest. According to the online publication femina.com, gourds are rich in iron, magnesium, vitamins, fibre, potassium and antioxidants. No Thanksgiving is complete without some pumpkin pie.

Another great veggie options:

1. Take a zucchini, slice it, dip it in beaten egg
2. Fry it, drain
3. Then, bake with some parmesan or mozzarella cheese grated on top

Zucchini is water a dense vegetables and very low in calories and nutrient rich. It’s a great option if you are keen on losing weight, because eating large quantities of them will fill you up, yet not load you down with excess calories.

So there you have it, healthy eating in Alaska is quite literally within our grasp. Take it all in and enrich your life and your health in our incomparably beautiful state.