Eating healthy is easy as long as you know what foods to eat.
Here are seven tasty super foods with some simple ideas on how to get more of these foods into your diet.
- Whole grains. Whole grains are loaded with fiber and B vitamins. These days almost everything is being made with whole grains; donuts, pasta, cookies, breads, and more. When going for super healthy whole grains think "less processing." Try a side of brown rice or quinoa at dinner. Eat oatmeal, buckwheat and other whole grain cereals for breakfast. Look for cereal with four or more grams of fiber per serving. Also look for the important words “one hundred percent (100%) whole grain” on the package. If those words are not present then the product is not made entirely of whole grains.
- Beans. These babies are filled with fiber, protein and are lowfat. Studies have shown that eating beans regularly can lower risk of heart disease. Pair beans with whole grains like whole wheat, brown rice, or barley to make a complete protein. It is easy to add beans to soups, salads, tacos, and dips.
- Chocolate. Chocolate is filled with heart healthy antioxidants. Just make sure the chocolate you eat contains at least sixty percent chocolate. Eat a square or two of chocolate after a meal as dessert. It does not take much chocolate to reap the health benefits.
- Green tea. Most any tea is pretty healthy but green tea is the super food star. While all teas have antioxidants, green tea has the antioxidant ECGC. ECGC has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer and possibly aid in lowering cholesterol. Replace sugary soda with green tea. If the grassy flavor is an issue, try steeping a bag of green tea with a favorite flavored bag of herbal tea.
- Raw nuts. Raw nuts like almonds, pecans, and walnuts are filled with healthy omega three fatty acids. It is important to eat these nuts raw to protect the fats from getting damaged by oxidizing. Add them to salad instead of croûtons or chop the nuts and mix them into yogurt. Eat a serving of nuts with a bowl of fruit as a snack.
- Probiotic foods. Miso and Yogurt are filled with probiotics. The good bacteria that aids in digestion in the intestines love probiotic foods. Also eating probiotics has been shown to boost the immune system. Mix yogurt with nuts or cereal for a filling breakfast. Use plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Try this easy miso soup.
- Olive oil. Olive oil is a great source for mono unsaturated fats and vitamin E. Olive oil is an important part of the Mediterranean diet which is considered one of the healthiest diets in the world. Get this superfood in the diet easily by switching the from regular vegetable oil to olive oil.
Start with one of these foods that seems easy to incorporate into your diet and move on to another super food. Before long all these foods will be a permanent part of your daily diet.
The copyright of the article Seven Super Foods in Nutrition is owned by Samantha Rufle. Permission to republish Seven Super Foods must be granted by the author in writing.
