From watermelon to red cabbage, find out why these foods should be part of a healthy diet.
Sorting out the best foods to eat is not always easy because the choices can be daunting. Adding to the confusion are overrated foods such as salads that are perceived to be good for you but can be health horrors.
Here are six foods not typically thought of as nutritional powerhouses that can definitely improve your diet. Learning about them - and understanding more about the nutritional goodness of foods in general - will help you to make more informed choices that can impact your health, weight and wallet.
Criteria for the best foods
In order to make our best list, foods had to be whole foods that are familiar, widely available, affordable, nutrient-rich - and most importantly, taste great. After all, what good is a super food if it isn’t a culinary delight?
Beyond the obvious “health halo” super foods such as blueberries, nuts and salmon, we asked nutrition experts for their opinion of the best underrated foods that belong on your menus. Here are their top six picks:
1. Beans and lentils
Make no beans about it, beans and lentils are among the most overlooked items in the supermarket. Beans really are nutrition superstars rich in protein, fibre, complex carbohydrates, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.
Nutrition consultant Bonnie Taub-Dix says healthy foods such as beans and lentils defy a recommendation to only shop the perimeter of the supermarket. “There are hundreds of essential foods like beans and lentils lining the shelves in the centre aisles that should not be overlooked.”
Versatile and easy on your wallet, Taub-Dix suggests lowering the sodium in canned beans by approximately 40% by thoroughly rinsing the beans in water.
Elisa Zied, author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips, says we don’t come close to eating enough pulses. Eating a diet rich in pulses, she says, “can help promote weight loss and has been shown to lower LDL [low-density "bad" cholesterol] and raise HDL [high-density "good" cholesterol].”
You can toss pulses into soups, stews, salads, grain medley, or greens or create a veggie dip by puréeing beans and adding your favourite seasoning, like hummus made from chickpeas and paprika.
2. Watermelon
Watermelon is a favourite summertime fruit. However, because it is so naturally sweet, some people avoid it because they think it is high in sugar.
Elizabeth Ward, author of Expect the Best, says watermelon should be a staple in everyone’s diet. “It is fun to eat, sweet, juicy, low in calories and chock full of vitamins C, A, potassium and lycopene. Because it is so high in water, it helps meet fluid needs.”
A bonus is that the thick peel keeps pesticides far from the flesh.
3. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are often thought of as high in calories and carbohydrates because they are so naturally sweet. However, don’t let that fool you.
Registered dietician Heather Mangieri says, “sweet potatoes are nutritional all-stars and one of the best vegetables you can eat. Not only are they a great source of beta carotene, vitamin C, fibre and potassium, but this highly underrated vegetable is so versatile it can be enjoyed with very few extra calories or embellishment.”
She suggests topping a slow-baked sweet potato with a sprinkle of cinnamon, apple purée and crushed pineapple - or black beans and salsa. Other options: mash it or slice into chips and oven bake until golden brown.
4. Red cabbage
Doctor and registered dietician Christine Gerbstadt votes for the cruciferous vegetable, red cabbage.
“A great source of fibre, vitamins A, D and K, folate and lots of trace minerals with only 22 calories,” says Gerbstadt, is provided in a 100g portion. You can eat it raw, cooked, sweet, savoury, stand-alone in a dish like coleslaw or add it to almost anything from soups, salads, casseroles, sandwiches, burgers and more.”
She suggests keeping a head of red cabbage in your vegetable bin in the fridge to inspire creative ways to add more colour and nutrition to your meals.
5. Tinned tomatoes
Diced tomatoes are a staple in the kitchen cupboard of Dr Chris Rosenbloom, a registered dietician. He says, everyone thinks fresh is best, advises that cooking tomatoes helps release some of the lycopene so it is better absorbed. Cancer Research UK also says that lycopene may reduce the risk of prostate cancer, and that cooked and processed tomatoes are a better source of lycopene than fresh tomatoes.
A study in the 2009 Journal of Clinical Oncology concluded that a diet rich in tomatoes may help prevent prostate cancer and that lycopene, a strong antioxidant, may also help prevent other types of cancer. Of course, many other lifestyle and genetic factors also affect cancer risk.
Stock your cupboards with canned tomatoes for pizza, pasta sauce and homemade salsa or toss a can into soups, stews, casseroles, greens or pasta dishes.
If tinned tomatoes are not your favourite, how about low-sodium vegetable juice? Dietician Sheah Rarback nominates the vegetable juice that has been around for a long time with only 140mg of sodium and an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium.
6. Natural, 0% fat Greek yoghurt
There are many yoghurts on the market, and natural 0% fat Greek yoghurt is a standout.
All yoghurts are excellent sources of calcium, potassium, protein, zinc and vitamins B6 and B12. What distinguishes Greek yoghurt is its thicker, creamier texture because the liquid whey is strained out. Also, it contains probiotic cultures and is lower in lactose and has twice the protein content of regular yoghurts.
“Skip the extra sugar calories found in most yoghurts,” says dietician Judith Rodriguez, who recommends increasing your protein intake by choosing Greek yoghurt, which contains twice as much protein. Rodriguez also says “[Greek yoghurt] is great for weight control because it keeps you feeling full longer.”
Rodriguez suggests pairing the tart yoghurt with the natural sweetness of fresh fruit or your favourite wholegrain cereal.
This article is featured on WebMD, written by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, medically reviewed by Dr Rob Hicks and can be read here:-
http://www.webmd.boots.com/healthy-eating/guide/six-best-foods-youre-not-eating
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