For some reason, I’ve always liked yellow sweet potatoes — but it never occurred to me that they’d be so loaded with vitamins A & C, and health-protective antioxidants that help keep our arteries young and flexible! Some of our favorite ‘normal’ snacks or meals actually pack some pretty potent nutrient punches.
Let me share with you 11 such everyday foods that are really high in their nutritional value.
Featured Image Credit: RDNE Stock project /Pexels.com.
Potatoes
I love to eat boiled potatoes and spicy gravy- It’s my comfort food. Do you know that a medium-size potato – with the skin – is an excellent source of fiber that helps your digestion? It’s also high in vitamin C and potassium. Potatoes are an excellent source of B vitamins, which help you turn food into energy. Pick your potato, prepare it with as little fat as possible – bake it, boil it, roast it – and you’ll have an instant nutrient-dense side-dish.
Cauliflower
If its green relative “broccoli” gets all the attention, it’s because cauliflower has been in the shadow of that darling cruciferous. This is a powerful cruciferous that’s good for your heart, immune system, blood pressure, lungs, liver, digestive system, skin and even your bones. And on top of all that, a serving of cauliflower is quite low in calories, about 25 to 30 for a cup depending on preparation.
But it’s also high in essential nutrients including vitamin C and vitamin K, which helps you absorb calcium for strong bones, build skin and keeps blood from clotting. Sneak it into mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, pizza, soups, stir-fries and other roasted vegetables: no matter how you serve it, cauliflower won’t make its presence known.
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Bananas
Looking for an easy-to-find healthy snack to enjoy on the move? Pack some bananas. Being rich in potassium, (an essential mineral required by every cell in the body and needed for maintaining the correct balance of fluids and electrolytes), bananas help regulate blood pressure and the flow of nutrients and waste in and out of cells — while balancing muscle and nerve function, including the heart’s ability to beat properly.
Bananas also contain good levels of vitamin C to support your immune system, vitamin B6 for the health of your brain and natural sugars that generate energy fast without spiking your blood glucose levels beyond what’s comfortable. Bananas can make an ideal pre-workout snack.
Beets
Beets have a large amount of nitrates (which help relax and dilate your blood vessels, lowering your blood pressure), folate (critical for tissue growth and cell function) and antioxidants which fight inflammation and decrease your risk for chronic disease. Eat them roasted, pickled, and sometimes blended into smoothies — beets are a sweet and earthy vegetable, and an easy addition to your diet.
Yogurt
Yogurt is a terrific breakfast or snack food because most varieties contain probiotics, which are live bacteria that support a healthy gut – promoting good digestion, while potentially strengthening the immune system in the process. A single cup of yogurt is very high in the bone-strengthening mineral calcium and almost as high in protein, which helps you recover from exercise. Most common varieties of yogurt are rich in the essential vitamin, vitamin D, which improves the body’s ability to absorb calcium. Eat it plain without added sugars! Try topping it with fresh fruit or nuts for a filling, nutritious meal.
Garlic
Don’t be fooled by garlic’s diminutive size. It packs a big health punch, thanks to its sulfur-rich compounds, including allicin, an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Adding it to your regular diet helps to lower cholesterol, and contributes to a healthy heart. It improves immune function and may help stave off colds and infections.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are another underrated food, often stuck into a sandwich or fried up and used as a side, but they’re much more than a garnish. The most significant nutrient in mushrooms is vitamin D, which is crucial for strong bones, but most people aren’t getting enough from their diet or the sunshine. Mushrooms are also full of B vitamins – riboflavin and niacin help you convert food into energy and keep the brain humming – and are basically bursting with antioxidants that help protect cells against damage.
Spinach
Popeye was right! This green is a nutritional powerhouse that’s loaded with iron, which helps your body distribute oxygen and function properly. It’s also loaded with vitamins A, C and K — which help your eyes, immune system and blood clot properly.
Finally, spinach is high in magnesium, a mineral that’s essential for bone and teeth health, heart function, and your body’s ability to regulate the functions of its tissues, organs and muscles. You can add spinach to your favorite salad, blend it into a smoothie with apples and lemon juice, or sauté it as a delicious side dish. However you prepare it, this leafy green is one of the simplest additions to your daily diet and boasts incredible nutritional value.
Cabbage
Cabbage might get overlooked a bit, but this sturdy, vitamin-rich veggie is packed with vitamins C and K, as well as fiber and folates – all great for heart health and the immune system. Cabbage is especially high in its anthocyanin content, a type of antioxidant that helps to fight inflammation, and its high fiber content supports digestive health, helping to make everything move smoothly. Whichever way you like it – raw in a salad, sautéed, or fermented with salt and caraway into sauerkraut – it’s well worth including in your meals.
Pumpkin Seeds
A scant handful of pumpkin seeds contains 15 percent of your daily magnesium (helpful for muscles and nerves), 10 percent of your iron for healthy red blood cells, and 7 percent of your daily zinc to retain a strong immune system. Above all, they are vegetarian protein so they are a compact, pick-me-up snack for vegans and vegetarians. Sprinkle them over a green salad, toasted or raw. Add them to your morning yogurt or toss them into a trail mix. Now go forth and be healthy!
Oats
Oats are a good source of soluble fiber, known as beta-glucan, which slows the absorption of sugar into the blood, helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels and supports heart health. They are also a source of the B vitamins, and essential minerals such as manganese, phosphorus and magnesium, (which support bone health and energy levels.) You can eat this cereal hot or cold, soak them in milk or yogurt, and chuck them in a smoothie. They come rolled, steel-cut and ready as jumbo oats.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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