Boost your nutrition, energy and health with the healthiest foods. Add nutrient-dense foods to your diet each day to help prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases. The healthiest foods are packed with more nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats and fiber, and have fewer calories than most processed and refined foods.
Salmon
Salmon and other fatty, cold-water fish, such as sardines, lake trout, anchovies, herring and canned albacore tuna, are chock-full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats reduce triglycerides, slow fat buildup in the arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms and the formation of blood clots. You also can get omega-3 fats in fish oil supplements. Ask your doctor what dose is best for you.
Spinach
Spinach and other greens, including kale, mustard greens, beet greens, romaine lettuce and collards, are some of the healthiest foods. These leafy green vegetables are filled with magnesium, iron and potassium, folic acid, luetin, phytochemicals and vitamins A, C and K. They might protect the eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness; lessen memory loss; strengthen the bones; and reduce the risk of diabetes, colon cancer and stroke.
Avocado
Avocados are very heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. They're high in potassium, fiber, folate and vitamins E, C and K. They also contain a substance called beta-sitosterol, which lowers cholesterol. Other foods loaded with healthy monounsaturated fats include olive and canola oils, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds and pecans.
Blueberries
Whether fresh or frozen, blueberries are one of the healthiest foods. One cup contains a quarter of the vitamin C you need for the day, 4 g of fiber and and disease-fighting antioxidants. Blueberries also might help protect brain health and help prevent cancer and heart disease. Other reddish-purple fruits, such as red grapes, blackberries, cranberries and raspberries, also provide these benefits.
Whole Grains
Skip foods made with refined grains, such as white rice, white bread and other carbohydrates made with white flour that has been stripped of its fiber, vitamins and minerals. Instead, choose whole grain foods. Oatmeal, whole wheat bread and brown rice are high in fiber and digested slowly. These and other whole grains control blood sugar, reduce hunger and might prevent heart disease.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: Food Pyramids: What Should You Really Eat?
- Helpguide.org: Healthy Dietary Fats -- The Truth About Fat, Nutrition, and Cholesterol
- Center for Science in the Public Interest; The Greens Party; Bonnie Liebman; July/August 2007
- DukeHealth.org: Supersize Nutrition With Superfoods
- "U.S. News Health"; 8 'Superfoods' and Their Alternatives; Katherine Hobson
