"Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay connected with our community." So, here's a list of 10 easy-to-eat and easy-to-find superfoods for every day that make healthy eating simple and delicious. All berries are great sources of fiber, a nutrient that most Americans don't get enough of. Fiber helps keep the digestive system healthy and working properly, maintains a feeling of satiety and is good for the heart. All berries are good for you, so be sure to mix them together. In winter, when berries aren't in season, take frozen berries (without sweeteners) and use them in smoothies, oatmeal, or even thawed in yogurt.
Raspberries (one of the best breakfast foods for weight loss) contain the most fiber (8 grams per cup) and also contain ellagic acid, a compound with anti-cancer properties. The same amount of blueberries has half the fiber (4 grams), but they're packed with anthocyanins, antioxidants that can help keep your memory sharp as you age. A cup of strawberries contains 3 grams of fiber, but more than the recommended daily intake of vitamin C to reaffirm the skin. Oats are a breakfast staple and are a superfood.
Eating more oats is an easy way to increase your fiber intake and makes for a filling breakfast. Plus, oats are a whole grain and natural oats have no added sugar. To prepare a supernutritious meal or snack, start with natural oats and turn them into products such as oatmeal cakes with blueberries, homemade granola to enjoy with fruit and yogurt, or homemade energy snacks with butter of peanut. Yogurt contains probiotics or good bacteria that help keep our intestines healthy.
Just 1 cup of yogurt provides almost half of the recommended daily value of calcium and provides phosphorus, potassium, zinc, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and protein. Choose Greek-style yogurt to increase protein even more and, whenever possible, go for plain yogurt. Flavoured yogurts tend to have a lot of added sugar, which adds calories without being nutritious. While superfoods may not have a quantifiable definition, foods labeled as such are healthy enough to be eaten every day.
Superfoods are not only delicious, but they're packed with health-boosting nutrients and antioxidants. So, add berries to oats, add sweet potatoes to a bowl of cereal, eat some nuts as a snack, and reap the benefits of superfoods every day. Oats keep cholesterol under control, help fight heart disease and keep you full until lunch, thanks to their soluble fiber. Look for old-fashioned or steel-cut varieties.
For a tasty breakfast, drizzle cooked oats with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan. Walnuts are a solid source of omega-3 fatty acids, the fats that lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL). For a healthy on-the-go snack, pack a handful of nuts with some dried figs and a few anise seeds. As the ingredients come together, anise releases flavor.
Egg yolks have a bad reputation, but don't skip them, as they're packed with vitamin B12 and vitamin A, and they contain choline, a nutrient that's particularly important for pregnant women. Make a sandwich with whole wheat bread, sliced boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives, anchovies, red onion and a drizzle of olive oil. These tender soybeans contain more fiber per serving than shredded wheat cereal and are one of the few plant sources of complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that our bodies have cannot produce on its own. Puree cooked edamame with garlic, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice for a quick hummus-like paste.
Or mix it with some pasta. From Monday to Friday, use the pearlescent or quick-cooking variety. More time? Try hulled barley, with its extra layer of bran. Add the sautéed mushrooms and sherry vinegar to the cooked barley.
Made with steamed, dried and split wheat, bulgur provides more fiber than brown rice, in addition to providing potassium, B vitamins and calcium. Cook bulgur as you would with oatmeal. Top it with honey and chopped nuts for breakfast or a hearty snack. Salmon contains heart-healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, and is one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D. Fish can also help keep skin glowing.
For guidance on how to buy the most sustainable varieties, look for MSC certified wild salmon or BAP or ASC certified farmed salmon. For breakfast, mash some avocado on whole-wheat toast and top it with poached salmon in flakes. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fiber, and should make up just over a third of the food you eat each day. While there are many other health-promoting foods that don't make this particular list, such as lentils, bananas, and beets, they're a good starting point if you want to add more healthy foods to your diet. Her strong background in nutrition science, sustainable food systems and culinary education make her uniquely qualified to write about foods that are good for us and for the planet, without sacrificing flavor.
Turning a short-term goal into a long-term lifestyle takes time, but consuming a consistent amount of nutrient-rich foods throughout the year doesn't have to be a daunting task. Choose whole-grain or whole-grain varieties of starchy foods, such as brown rice, whole-grain pasta, and whole-grain or high-fiber white bread. All of these foods are good sources of protein, which are essential for the body to grow and repair itself. Samantha is the senior food editor at RealSimple and previously launched the publication US Weekly Food vertical, where she wrote about the intersection of food and pop culture.
Instead of completely eliminating less nutritious or unhealthy foods from your diet, incorporate some changes healthy. The ideal amount of each type of food varies depending on age and daily calorie needs, but the central premise is that you can mix and match foods from each group to create a balanced eating approach that ensures you don't miss out on essential nutrients. From the age of 2, children should start eating the same foods as the rest of the family, in the proportions indicated in the Eatwell Guide.
