What makes a food “super”? It’s simple. It must contain multiple disease fighting nutrients, fill you up on minimal calories and be easy to incorporate into your daily diet. The 10 foods listed below meet these three criteria, are all whole, un-processed foods and fit into one of the following four food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grain and dairy. Start incorporating these items into your diet today to quickly meet your needs and to increase your energy!
Sweet Potatoes: High in vitamins A and C, calcium, potassium and fibre this is one powerful vegetable! Bake it to release its naturally sweet flavor and eliminate the need for unhealthy condiments such as sour cream, butter or salt.
Low-fat or plain yogurt: Yogurt often contains more calcium than other dairy products and is full of protein, potassium and probiotics (healthy bacteria found in your stomach). Lactose intolerant? Good news, yogurt is often tolerated better than other dairy products, so dig in! Just make sure to buy plain flavoured and add your own fruit to avoid hidden sugars and calories!
Grape tomatoes: Sweet, crunchy and easy to pop-in-your-mouth, these sweet red treats are healthy and guilt free snacks. Add to a salad, dip into hummus or eat them alone to satisfy your vitamins A and C, phytochemical and fibre needs.
Nuts: Although high in calories and fat, nuts are nutritional powerhouses when eaten in appropriate portions (¼ cup). Full of heart healthy fat, fibre and antioxidants, studies show they can help lower your cholesterol and lose weight too!
Beans: Wonderful sources of protein and carbohydrates, this little legume will keep you full for hours while providing important minerals like magnesium and potassium along with tons of fibre. Soybeans are a great vegetarian source of heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids. Toss them into salads, soups or on top of brown rice and veggies for a quick and easy balanced meal.
Wild Salmon: Protein and heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids all in one food! Omega 3 fatty acids are heart protective so try to eat fatty fish like salmon 3 times per week to meet your needs. Make sure to buy wild over farmed to avoid contaminants such as PCBs.
Spinach & Kale: These leafy greens are full of vitamins A, C, and K, folate, potassium, magnesium, iron, lutein, and phytochemicals. Lightly sauté or steam in order to preserve nutrients and top with tomato sauce, lemon or vinegar for a low calorie side dish. Alternatively serve under fish, meat or poultry instead of rice or pasta.
Berries: You can enjoy an entire cup of blueberries for the same calories and much more fibre than one apple, pear or orange. These yummy bursts of flavour are full of disease fighting antioxidants, are easily found frozen or fresh all year long and taste great in smoothies or eaten alone to tame any serious sweet tooth.
Quinoa: A quick cooking whole grain full of fibre, protein (8 grams per serving), iron, zinc, vitamin E and selenium. Replace your rice with quinoa, add some veggies, lean protein and/or beans to create a meal powerful enough to fight off diabetes and heart disease.
Eggs: There is no easier way to fill up on protein than by simply cooking an egg. A rich source of 12 vitamins and minerals, eggs are nutritious and economical. Studies show eating eggs for breakfast can decrease the amount of calories you eat throughout the day. So scramble, hard-boil or poach and eat your way slim!