Nutritious superfoods can ground your diet in high protein, vitamin, mineral and fiber content with the fewest calories. This type of nutrient density contributes to lifelong health and weight maintenance, according to the USDA, while reducing your risk for diet-related chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. Eat nutrient-dense superfoods often, and add a wide variety of other fruits, vegetables, grains and low-fat dairy and protein foods to create balanced, satisfying menus.
Cooked Black Beans
Along with high levels of protein, fiber, potassium, iron, and B vitamins, superfoods such as black beans have zero fat and cholesterol and low sodium and sugar, elements that can harm your health. That's why the American Diabetes Association calls black, pinto, kidney, lima and other beans, lentils and split peas the healthiest food sources. The USDA recommends eating 113-calorie, ½-cup servings of fresh-cooked black beans for the lowest sodium, avoiding the high salt content of canned beans.
Cooked Spinach Leaves
Spinach needs no cheerleaders for its dietary strengths, which increase with cooking. The numbers posted by the USDA reveal that 1 cup of cooked spinach has daily values, or DVs, of 20 percent to 1,111 percent of vitamins A, B-2, B-6, B-9, C and K, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. Additional moderate content of protein, vitamin E and dietary fiber in just 41 calories push this superfood over the top among nutritious vegetables.
Baked Salmon
Nutrient-dense foods take on greater significance when you eat them in place of those that are less dense. For instance, if you regularly eat meat, when you eat 3-oz. servings of salmon instead, you get their beneficial nutrition as well as the savings in detrimental fat that you would have had from meats. The American Heart Association encourages menu substitutions of this superfood, which has similar protein but less saturated fat than most cuts of beef, pork, lamb and poultry, at least twice per week. Bake salmon to limit calories and to enjoy more than 100 percent DV of vitamin D and heart-healthy omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids.
Whole-Grain Bran Flakes
Another food that offers 100 percent DVs of several nutrients in fewer than 100 calories is whole-grain wheat cereal. According to the USDA, bran flakes have the best calorie-to-nutrient ratio among ready-to-eat cereals and all grain products. Get a reliable source of protein, fiber and potassium, along with fortified content of up to a full day's supply of iron, certain B vitamins and calcium in about ½ cup of some brands of wheat bran cereal.
Member Comments