What Are Some Of The Healthiest Foods You Can Eat?

The healthiest foods you can eat are the ones that supply beneficial nutrients, such as those that may reduce the risk for certain diseases, without additional unhealthy components. Although the healthiest foods should be a significant portion of your diet, many other foods are also part of a balanced diet. If you need help planning a healthy diet that meets your particular needs, talk to a nutritionist.

Fruits and Vegetables

A diet high in fruit and vegetables may reduce your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis. Most vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes, carrots and apricots, are high in potassium, which may help you control your blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables may provide vitamin C or vitamin A; examples include oranges, strawberries, squash, spinach and other greens, peppers and melons. Most vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber, so they may help you maintain or achieve a healthy weight.

Peanuts and Tree Nuts

Your risk for heart disease may decrease if you regularly eat peanuts or tree nuts, such as almonds, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts and pecans. They provide vitamin E, an antioxidant, as well as dietary fiber, which may lower your cholesterol levels. Nuts are also rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, and walnuts provide alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid that may reduce your risk for sudden cardiac death.

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish provide heart-healthy long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Your body can make some docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid (DHA and EPA) from short-chain omega-3 fatty acids that you get from plant foods. However, conversion is limited, so getting EPA and DHA from fatty fish or shellfish may provide additional benefits for your heart. Fatty fish are nondairy sources of calcium, and they are among the few natural sources of vitamin D, which helps your body absorb and use calcium from food.

Beans and Lentils

Beans and lentils can count as protein foods or as vegetables when you are trying to meet recommendations in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There can be up to 18 g of protein in 1 cup of lentils or beans, such as navy, lima, black, kidney or garbanzo. Reduce the saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet by choosing beans as alternative proteins to fatty meats. Beans are high in dietary fiber and potassium.