Top 5 Superfoods to be eaten everyday
These are the foods you should be eating everyday – and they’re probably already in your kitchen.
We’ve all heard about superfoods, but what are they and how do we get them, even on a budget?
Rather than reinventing the wheel with the latest fad diet, try adding more of these delicious – and affordable – healthy ingredients that will keep your body at its best. Here are 5 of our favourites…
Blueberries
Nicknamed the “brain berry”, blueberries are packed with antioxidants and can help fend of cancer, diabetes, and memory changes associated with age. Rich in fibre, and vitamins A and C, you can reap the benefits of this sweet snack with a serving size as small as a cup.
How to have it – Sprinkled over plain yogurt, oatmeal or granola, added to your morning pancakes or as part of a smoothie.
Spinach
Not all leaves are created equal, and for such a simple ingredient spinach packs a lot of punch. A one cup serving is a rich source of omega-3s, folic acid, and lutein, which can help build muscle, reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis – and even help your sex drive.
How to have it – As a base for a salad, a topping on your pizza or as part of your morning smoothie.
Walnuts
Don’t let this unassuming ingredient fool you – though small in size, a serving of walnuts has more heart-healthy omega 3s than salmon, more anti-inflammatory polyphenols than red wine and has half the amount of protein as a serving of chicken. Other nuts combine only one or two of these features, but with walnuts you can get all three benefits in one go. The best part? Just one serving – approximately 7 nuts – is all it takes.
How to have it – Sprinkled on salads, added to your morning oatmeal, ground with olive oil as a marinade or alone as a post-workout recovery snack.
Carrots
Bright red, yellow and orange vegetables like sweet potato, yellow peppers and carrots are chalk full of a powerful antioxidant called carotenoids. Low in calories and delicious raw or cooked, squeezing in a ½ cup of carrots to your daily diet can help reduce the risk of cancer as well as fight against asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.
How to have it – Shredded in salad, sliced with hummus as a snack, cooked and glazed to serve with dinner.
Black Beans
Lentils have long been noted as a healthy choice and none are better than the black bean. Filled with anthocyanins – an antioxidant compound that helps boost brain power and heart health – black beans contain no saturated fat, are low in calories, and serve up a whopping 8 grams of protein and 7.5 grams of fibre in a ½ cup serving.
How to have it – Add it to your chilli, make a breakfast burrito or create a healthy dip by blending beans, olive oil and garlic.
What are your favourite ways to eat these healthy foods?
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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