Add More Nutrients to Your Diet!
By Sara Butler
When you’re watching your portions and eating your fair share of fruits and vegetables, you shouldn’t think you’re doing everything you need to do. There are a few little things you can do to help make your meals even more nutritious. Here are a few things you can do to help you get some more bang for your nutritional buck.
Don’t Shy Away from Fat
There are several vitamins that need dietary fat in order to be absorbed by your body fully. Vitamins A, K, E, and D are fat-soluble, so make sure you’re taking full advantage of them, and then make sure to eat foods rich in them with heart-healthy fat. That means your spinach, raspberries, and carrots need to be paired with some avocado or olive oil-based dressing in order to help absorb the key nutrients your body needs to work at its very best.
Cook Fast
Many vegetables retain their texture and shape after cooking, but overcooking them can drain them of important nutrients. The key is to cook them fast so they can keep all the good stuff and flavor right along with it. No one likes a slimy, mushy Brussels sprout, after all.
It’s also important to understand that many vitamins as water-soluble, so cooking them in water can sap them of nutrients such as Vitamin B and Vitamin C. So, cook your vegetables fast by sautéing them in a little olive oil or steam them with just a little bit of water.
Eat the Peel
If you regularly take the peeler to your cucumbers, apples, and potatoes, then you need to stop! In order to reap all the nutritional benefits from these foods, you must eat the outer skin where all the good stuff is. The skin of many fruits and vegetables is where you’ll find the fiber and antioxidants. Even the fuzzy outer layer of a kiwi packs a punch of vitamins that are good for you. So, wash the peel well and keep it on there to get the most benefit.
You Can Go Frozen
Frozen fruits and vegetables have a bad reputation, but they are inexpensive and just as good as the fresh stuff. In fact, frozen vegetables are picked at their peak which means they’re frozen at their most nutritious. So, don’t shy away from the frozen stuff.
It is possible to pack your diet with more nutrients if you know where to look!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Shiloh, Ill.