We could go on and on about all of the tasty foods out there that are also super nutritious. To pare things down for you, we’ve rounded up five “superfoods” that are elegant multitaskers: not only are they brimming with various disease-fighting nutrients, but they’re also easy-to-eat, easy-to-find, and most important, delicious.
1. Blueberries – Blueberries have loads of health-boosting benefits. They are packed full of antioxidants and are high in vitamin C, which helps to support your immune system, control blood pressure and promote healthy teeth and gums. Lucky for us, July just so happens to be when these delicious berries are at their peak!
Blueberries maintain most of their power across fresh, dried and frozen forms. So the next time you gather with friends and family at a barbecue, enjoy a picnic outdoors or are looking for a delicious start to your day, try one of these mouth-watering recipes highlighting the blueberry:
2. Tomatoes – Rich in Vitamin C and beta carotene, cooked tomatoes in particular will give you a daily dose of the nutrient lycopene, which is another powerful antioxidant linked to reduced incidence of some cancers. There are so many easy ways to incorporate them into your diet: drizzled with olive oil, cooked into a sauce or layered on a sandwich! For some tomato inspiration, give one of these recipes a try:
3. Spinach – Popeye loves it. You can sauté it, freeze it or eat it raw. Not only is spinach good for the eyes, for healthy bones and for digestion, it is one of the most versatile vegetables around. And did you know that cooking spinach actually increases its health benefits? According to Care2.com, just half a cup of cooked spinach will give you three-times as much nutrition as one cup of the raw vegetable. Spinach can easily be incorporated into a diet by throwing the raw leaves into a healthy salad, sautéing it for a tasty side dish or even adding it to your soup.
Need some great spinach recipes? PHA partner Birds Eye hits the bull’s eye with its trove of recipes that truly star vegetables—check out their profile on spinach! If you need more inspiration, check these recipes out:
4. Yogurt – A single serving of yogurt will give you roughly one-third of your daily calcium needs, which can help ward off osteoporosis. Yogurt also contains “good bacteria” – or probiotics that help to boost your immune system and protect your stomach against harmful bacteria that could lead to infection or illness. Starting your day with a cup of yogurt (and for a “superfood” powerhouse meal, add blueberries!) will work wonders for your overall health. But be aware that not all yogurts contain probiotics, so make sure the label says “live and active cultures.”
For inspiration, check out Dannon’s fantastic recipes that swap yogurt in for other ingredients to make your favorite meal a little more nutritious. Or check out these great recipes to help incorporate yogurt into your day:
5. Black Beans – We all know beans are good for your heart, but they are also full of antioxidant compounds and – ironically enough – B vitamins that can boost your brain health. The even better news is that you can count them as either a vegetable or a protein food. That’s because just one cup of black beans provides nearly 50 percent of your daily value for fiber, 30 percent of your daily value for protein and 20 percent of your daily value for iron. And it’s so easy to incorporate them into your daily diet – add into your chili, wrap them into a breakfast burrito, or puree them into a dip! If you need more inspiration, try one of these tasty recipes:
