Take the Food Test: Check Off Super Foods You Eat
By Sandy Schroeder
Every third person you talk to has a suggestion for something healthy to eat. We all have our favorites, but it is all too easy to slip completely and come up grinning as you inhale a pizza or a big batch of chili cheese fries. Trust me. I know!
If you can relate, you may want to test yourself and see how many of these healthy foods you actually eat on a regular basis.
RealSimple.com suggested them as uncomplicated, plant-based foods, mostly from the outer aisles of the store where you find produce, eggs, fish and other whole foods. They are all basic ingredients with no pre-packaged products and mile long ingredient list.
Check the Ones You Eat
Start with these.
Oatmeal - Look for old-fashioned or steel cut oats and count on them to fight heart disease, or help cut cholesterol and keep you full all morning.
Avocados - Who can resist guacamole or avocado on toast. Count on them to deliver 20 percent of your daily fiber and cut cholesterol with monounsaturated fats.
Walnuts - Pair these nuts with dried figs and count on reducing your bad (LDL) cholesterol and raising (LDL) the good kind.
Black beans - Enjoy black bean tacos, burritos and soup and support nerves and muscles with a boost of magnesium and antioxidants.
Spinach - Toss spinach into your salads, soups, omelets or smoothies. Or saute some with chicken breasts or salmon. You will get folate and flavonoids that deliver antioxidants, plus iron for healthy hair.
Mushrooms - Enjoy them as a soup or in place of meat. Slice them into salads or feature them in an omelet.
Kidney beans - Make a three-bean salad by adding green beans, wax beans and celery, onion and a tangy vinegar dressing.
Cucumbers - Cut them into chunks and use them as finger foods for yogurt dips, or slice them and marinate in vinegar with sliced onions.
Whole grain pasta - Make a one-pot pasta by adding fresh tomatoes onion, basil, water and olive oil. Look for a one-pot pasta recipe on Epicurious.com.
Spinach pasta - Add your favorite marinara sauce to spinach pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.
Eggs - Make the morning energy last with an omelet or serve egg salad sandwiches for lunch.
Oranges - Take them with for snacks on the go or slice them into a fresh green salad.
More Great Choices
- Nut butters
- Squash
- Pumpkin
- Kiwi fruit
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Kidney beans
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Chard
- Oranges
- Apricots
- Olive oil
If you have checked off a lot of these foods that you eat every day, keep looking for more ways to fix them and add more fruits, vegetables, grains, lean meats, fresh fish and lean poultry.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Wellington, Fla.