Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.
1. Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.
2. Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
3. Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.
4. Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.
5. Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.
6. Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
7. Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.
8. Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.
9. Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
10. Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.
11. Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.
You can find more details and recipes on the Men’s Health Web site, which published the original version of the list last year.
In my own house, I only have two of these items — pumpkin seeds, which I often roast and put on salads, and frozen blueberries, which I mix with milk, yogurt and other fruits for morning smoothies. How about you? Have any of these foods found their way into your shopping cart?
Jonny Bowden,營養(yǎng)學(xué)家和作者,他創(chuàng)建了一些人應(yīng)該吃但并不經(jīng)常吃的健康食品的清單。而他的部分推薦,如馬齒莧,番石榴和枸杞,并不總是能在商場里購買得到。我請求了Bowden博士,《地球上150種最健康的食品》的作者,向我們提供一些推薦的、容易發(fā)現(xiàn)卻容易被我們所忽視的食品。以下是他的意見。
1、甜菜:Bowden說,可以把甜菜當(dāng)做成紅色菠菜,因為它們都具有豐富的葉酸以及天然紅色顏料,可以對抗癌癥。食法:把新鮮的原材料磨碎制成沙拉。加熱會降低抗氧化能力。
2、洋白菜:內(nèi)含蘿卜硫養(yǎng)分,據(jù)化學(xué)說法可以提高抗癌酶。食法:亞洲式色拉或者切碎夾在漢堡和三明治中。
3、瑞士甜菜:是一種多葉綠色蔬菜,內(nèi)含類胡蘿卜素,可以防止眼鏡老化。食法:切碎用橄欖油煎炒。
4、肉桂:可能有助于控制血糖和膽固醇。食法:灑在咖啡或燕麥片上。
5、石榴汁:可以降低血壓,富含抗氧化劑。食法:喝吧。
6、梅干:好了,這真的就是干梅子,但它們富含了抗氧化劑。食法:裹在熏火腿里烘焙。
7、南瓜籽:是南瓜里最有營養(yǎng)的部分,富含鎂;高水平的礦物質(zhì)含量,可以降低早亡的風(fēng)險。食法:作為點心烘烤,或撒在沙拉上。
8、沙丁魚:Bowden博士稱之為“罐頭里的健康食品”。ω - 3的含量高,不含汞,富含鈣,而且還含有鐵,鎂,磷,鉀,鋅,銅,錳,以及完整的B族維生素。食法:選擇沙丁魚包裝橄欖油或沙丁魚油。簡單吃,或者配沙拉、吐司,也可以攪碎配芥末和洋蔥。
9、姜黃:是“香料的超級巨星”,它可能具有抗炎和抗癌特性。食法:混合炒雞蛋或放在任何素菜中。
10、冰凍藍莓:盡管在果蔬中,冷凍會降低某些營養(yǎng)素,但冰凍藍莓可以全年不腐壞。根據(jù)動物實驗結(jié)果,藍莓可以提高記憶力。食法:混合酸奶或巧克力豆奶或撒上杏仁壓碎。
11、罐頭南瓜:是低熱量的蔬菜,高纖維和富含免疫刺激維生素A。你只需吸收很少的卡路里就能充滿活力。食法:混合一點黃油,肉桂和肉豆蔻。
你可以在人類健康網(wǎng)站上找到更多的細節(jié)和菜譜,那里有近年出版的原始版本。
在我自己的家里,我只有其中兩種食品——南瓜籽,我經(jīng)?臼旆旁谏忱;冰凍藍莓,我用來混合奶、酸奶和其他水果作為營養(yǎng)早餐。那你呢?你把這些食物放進你的購物籃里了嗎?