Sunday, February 27, 2011

Healthy Ideas - 30 Healthiest Foods

We all know we should make an effort to incorporate more healthy foods into our diets.  Here is a list of the 30 healthiest foods, according to top dietitians and nutritionists:
Mushrooms
Barley
Walnuts
Whole grain pasta
Peanut & almond butters
Oatmeal
Quinoa
Skim milk
Almonds
Lentils
Blueberries
Bulgur
Eggs
Sardines
Spinach
Kiwi
Wild salmon
EVOO
Chicken breast
Kale
Avocado
Kidney beans
Sweet potatoes
Chard
Edamame
Pumpkin
Oranges
Nonfat Greek yogurt
Broccoli
Black beans

Here's the link, which includes information on the health benefits for each as well as recipe ideas:
http://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/healthy-eating/the-30-healthiest-foods-00000000051152/index.html
Some of these I already cook with regularly, such as mushrooms, whole grain pasta, oatmeal, and of course extra virgin olive oil.  However, since I saw this list recently, I have made a point of using some of the others more often and will be including in future posts - such as bulgur, barley, and lentils.
Which of these items are your favorites?  Are there any you like but aren't sure of a good way to prepare?  Let me know and I'll be sure to post a recipe for it soon.

4 comments:

  1. Avocado is my all time favorite food and we eat alot of it. Big fan of lentils, swiss chard and walnuts.

    I make Elijah a "pumpkin" smoothie using cooked sweet potato, walnuts, and a banana mixed w/skim milk and a dash of pumpkin pie spice--tastes like pumpkin pie and has 2 superfoods in it!

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  2. That's so great that you cook that way for Elijah - he's going to grow up to be such a foodie!

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  3. a. What is EVOO? b. If you can come up with a tasty way to cook sardines, then all the power to you!

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  4. a. extra virgin olive oil
    b. It is an acquired taste, and admittedly this is the item on the list I eat the least often. I was wondering about the difference between anchovies & sardines - apparently they are basically interchangeable, but sardines are very rich in omega-3 fatty acids. I think they are both common in Mediterranean cooking. I guess the most common use for anchovies would be caesar dressing, which is pretty high in fat so any health benefits would be void. There is a pasta dish I have made before which involves caramelized onions with crushed red pepper and garlic, and with either anchovies or sardines. You toss it with spaghetti and top with parsley and toasted breadcrumbs. This was actually very good, but I haven't had it in years. It's a typical Italian dish, I think I had something similar when I was in Italy years ago. Corey hates the smell of fish cooking, so if he came home to me cooking sardines he would probably freak out.

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