Ginger is not just spicy, sweet and delicious, it's also tremendously good for you. And the holiday season is the perfect time to pack a punch with it in everything from the cookie tray to the cocktails.

Here's why and how to include this efficacious superfood in your holiday festivities.

• Be good to yourself: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and flu season, a nutritious immunity-boosting diet can help you take good care of your health. With its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, ginger boasts a wide range of health benefits, making it a great ingredient to include in your winter culinary repertoire. What's more, ginger can help counteract some of the effects of an indulgent holiday season, as it promotes digestive health and calms nausea.

• Embrace its versatility: Ginger goes far beyond such holiday classics like gingerbread houses. With a little creativity, it can be incorporated into every course of your holiday meal, adding a rare depth of flavor few other ingredients can match. Reed's Crystallized Ginger makes it easier than ever to add that burst of spicy sweetness to seasonal recipes with its diced, ready-to-eat baby ginger root.

So, consider wowing your family! Whip up a batch of ginger-carrot soup, prepare a ginger-based salad dressing, top your roast with a ginger-gravy or simply garnish your favorite cocktail.

• Go for the real stuff: To amp up the flavor and health benefits, use only ingredients incorporating real ginger. Just be sure to read the label. If you're like the one in three ginger ale drinkers who reach for this bubbly beverage because you're looking for a drink with actual ginger, you may be surprised to learn that most mainstream ginger ales contain almost no real ginger.

For holiday cocktails or enjoyed straight, try Reeds Real Ginger Ale, which is the only ginger ale on the market made with real, fresh ginger. Its original variety is non-GMO, packed with 2000 milligrams of organic pressed ginger and made with no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no artificial preservatives and no high fructose corn syrup. There's also a zero sugar variety too. Certified-ketogenic, it uses the same ingredients without the cane sugar. For more information, as well as holiday gift-giving and recipe inspiration, visit drinkreeds.com.

A satisfying spice known worldwide for its wellness benefits, you can give your family the gift of flavor and health by putting ginger front-and-center this holiday season.