Are you a healthy eater?? If you are not into veggies, fruits and nuts by themselves, you can always try them in a meal!
Want to know what type of foods are high in Antioxidants??
I can tell you and also show you how you can eat them in a meal.
1. Almonds
Almonds are not only good for your skin, they give you energy and are full of fatty acids and proteins. I like to eat them with sea salt on them when they are eaten raw. They are also good in ice cream. I usually have soy ice cream with Pistacio Almond nuts in them.. very delicious!
Or you can have almonds in a salad. Try the almonds with spinach, dried fruit like crandberries or bananas, cucumber and a vinagarette dressing!
Are you ready for the next veggie??
2. Spinach
Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich
in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or
quickly boiled. It is a rich source of Vitamin A, B, C, E
and K magnesium Iron, calcium, potassium, folic
acid, protein, zinc,niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.
I usually take Selenium, Niacin, and Omega 3 as a
suppement, but when I eat Spinach instead of lettuce
in my salad, I know I am gettin the best nutrients and you can too!
Don't like Spinach by it's self or raw??
Here are a few ways you can eat it:
soup:
Salad (look! It has Walnuts in it!)
Panini
3. Red Bell Pepper
Compared to green peppers, red peppers have more
vitamins and nutrients and contain the antioxidant
lycopene. The level of carotene, like lycopene, is nine
times higher in red peppers.
Red peppers have twice the vitamin C content of green peppers!
Also, one large red bell pepper contains 209 mg of
vitamin C, which is almost three times the 70 mg of an average orange.
They are full of vitamins and minerals, yet most people
don't eat them unless they are at a dinner party (and they are dipped in ranch dressing!)
I you don't like red bell peppers raw, here are some ways to eat them in a meal:
You can eat them in a cold pesto chicken pasta! One of my favorite pasta dishes!
Or you can try them in an omlet (it can be a real egg or egg substitute) with sausage (or mushrooms if you are not a fan of meat) and onions.. along with a side of asparagus which is high in calcium or some fruit!
4. Carrots
Ah carrots, are forgotten important vegetable. It really is used in many ways as a meal, not regularly eaten by themselves. Carrots are good for your vision, are rich in dietary fiber, an carotene which we can turn into Vitamin A when humans consume them.
The most commonly eaten part of a carrot is a taproot (the green part).
Here are some uses for carrots in meals:
Morrocan Glazed Carrots!
I found a recipe for it online one time and they were soo good! Who thought you can have carrots taste as good as a dessert?!
This is an adaptation of Julia Child’s “Carottes
Glacees” (Glazed Carrots.
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 cup good beef stock
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala (an indian spice mix, you
can substitute a little allspice and cinnamon)
salt and pepper to taste
Place the carrots in a sauce pan along with all the
other ingredients. Bring to a boil, then cook on
medium until the sauce is thick and syrupy. This will
take about 20 minutes. You can serve immediately or
let cool. When you are ready for them, reheat and stir
to coat the carrots in the glaze.
Julia’s recipe uses white sugar instead of brown and
no garam masala. Her’s is simply glazed carrots.
Either way, this is a simple recipe that packs a big punch.
5. Broccoli.
Ewww! Not Broccoli!!! Don't be afraid of your green friend. It's just trying to help you stay healthy!
I know most people would rather eat a chocolate chip cookie than broccoli, and it's ashame because it's so full of antioxidants that you could actually just eat is as your only veggie!
Broccoli is full of antioxidants; in fact, Broccoli is also an excellent source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells!
If this doesn't convince you to eat it raw, here are fun ways to incorporate it into a meal:
You can try it into a small helping of Broccoli Alfredo pasta!
Or broccoli soup!
6. Mango
Now I KNOW you MUSt eat this raw! It's so juicy and yummy, it's hard to think it would be good for you!
But here are some fun ways to eat Mango, espcially since our summer days have been so hot lately!
Mango sorbet is a yummy, low fat food and you can also top it with any other fruit! I like strawberries on mine!
Or you can try it in a salad! Eating it mixed in with a mushroom, tofu or meat with give you some extra proetin in your diet.
6. Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes are a source of polyphenol antioxidants, chemicals that can provide certain health benefits to the cardiovascular system and immune system by regulating the formation of nitric oxide, a key chemical in the prevention of heart attacks. Cantaloupes also are an excellent source of vitamin C.
This is my least favorite food EVER!! I have to admit!
When I did my research on foods high in antioxidants, I was a little disappointed, but I found yummy ways to eat this sometimes unlikeable fruit, and here's what I found!
You can have cantaloupe in a fruit dish
Or try it in a fruit smoothie with soy or rice milk. The soy is also nutritious and better than cow's milk.
I hope this post helped to make you more of a believer of fruits and veggies! I know I am, and if you are creative and fun with your food, you will HAVE more fun eating it!!
