People tend to celebrate the seasons, especially fall and winter, with outdoor festivities and indoor decor. Celebrating in the kitchen is as equally as important because embracing seasonal produce is what it’s all about. You can celebrate with the myriad colors, produce, and spices, all in one recipe no less!

Fresh cranberries are only in season for limited window, so you have to get them while the gettin’s good. They are somewhat sweet, but the tartness is somehow addicting. The flavor of cranberries also pairs beautifully with other seasonal ingredients like pomegranates and persimmons. Now, you can throw those ingredients together in a blender, but they need a creamy base, which is why you add a banana into the mix.

One of the great things about this smoothie is that it may be one of the most nutrient-dense smoothies you ever drink. The antioxidant activity in this smoothie is on another level. Pomegranates offer flavonoids, anthocyanins, ellagitannins, alkaloids, and punicic acids, which exhibit anti-hypertensive and anti-inflammatory properties. Some research points to the fact that cranberries may cause apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells. Researchers attribute this to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in cranberries. Lastly, persimmons have high vitamin C content, which helps to reduce inflammation and improve immune function.