The 11 best foods we should be eating
By estherlou
@estherlou (5015)
United States
July 4, 2008 1:50pm CST
I saw an article talking about the best foods according to nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/the-11-best-foods-you-arent-eating/?ex=1215835200&en=53ae9282b735f8bd&ei=5070
Here is his list for the top 11.
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.
I like beets and cabbage. Pumpkin seeds could be addictive to me, like chips. Sardines sounds good. Never thought of canned pumpkin as a vegetable...just an ingredient for pumpkin pie at the holidays. Something to think about, huh?
6 people like this
13 responses
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
21 Sep 08
Thanks for posting. Eating healthy food enables us to stay healthy. I will print this posting and put it somewhere handy to read it every now and then
@chrislotz (8136)
• Canada
31 Aug 08
This is very interesting. I like most of the foods they mention especially the cabbage as I love to fry my cabbage with onions and I eat that a lot, so it is nice to know it is actually good for me. I also love beets and I eat those as a boiled vegetable or as in borcht soup and I also pickle them every fall. I make about 12 jars of them and between my daughter and I, we polish those off by the next fall when I make more. Oops, I see they want us to eat them raw, oh well. Can't eat them raw. I like swiss chard once in awhile, not too often. I make mine by steaming it and then putting a little bit of vinegar on it when I have it on my plate. I like sardines once in awhile. I eat those on a sandwich with raw onions and mustard, but I have to be in the mood for it. Frozen blueberries I eat with cottage cheese and a sprinkle of sugar and heated for about 2 minutes in the microwave. I eat it as a desert. And least of all, pumpkin, I have only eaten in a pie but I like it.
So I am eating pretty good foods, huh, I am happy.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
6 Jul 08
thanks for this list, I did see it before as well. I don't get enough fresh vegetables in my diet at all.
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
6 Jul 08
I can do beets, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds, turmeric, blueberries (fresh,frozen,dried). But prunes and sardines? yeck!!! I tried Pomegranate juice once but couldn't get beyond the taste so gave it to a friend. It tasted like rich soil.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
7 Jul 08
I love plums, cinnamon, blueberries, and pumpkin, and I get into the mood for cabbage and sardines sometimes. The rest I will have to work on except for Swiss chard, I will never eat cooked greens. We have pumpkin all kinds of ways here, pumpkin butter, as a soup dish, in or around stews, etc., but then again we tend to grow a ton of it at a time.
Yes, it is something to think about and I like how you balanced your discussions. So many times people tell us what not to eat, but not what to eat so eventually it seems like there is nothing to eat. I think, fruits, veggies, and spices/herbs in general should be more in our diets anyway. You can't go wrong with them, esp. if you grow them yourself.
@GardenGerty (169561)
• United States
6 Jul 08
I like quite a few of these. I just need to eat smaller portions. I like to put a spoonful of pumpkin in with whole oats, cover with milk, add cinnamon and microwave for two minutes. Add more milk, sweeten with stevia, or maple syrup and it is wonderful as well as healthy.
@sweetlady10 (3611)
• United States
4 Jul 08
Hmmm I am not very much going on with this list. I eat cabbage and dried plums. Also I use turmeric as a spice. I am not very much conscious about my food. I like to eat junk food more as they taste good. I know I should watch what I am eating, but I can't help it.
@qhwater (392)
• China
5 Jul 08
in my life, i do most of things as i like. for the food, i do think that we should eat as many types as we can eat. actually, i think each food has its own nuitrition and it can play a special roll for your health. so, i will not only eat some types of food. i do think the more types food you eat, more healthy you will be.
