10 Healthy Foods You Can Eat Every Day

A hectic lifestyle makes it easy to skip a meal or just grab less-than-nutritious food on the run. But a busy day doesn’t have to stand in the way of great health. A multivitamin is great insurance for days when you do miss a meal or two, but real food should always be your primary source of nutrients. Keep these 10 foods on hand at all times, and you’ll be able to whip up a delicious meal or snack that will keep your energy up and your immune system strong. Besides, eating a healthy meal instead of that quick fat snack will help you loose weight as you go.

Sweet Potatoes

A nutritional All-Star – one of the best vegetables you can eat. They’re loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Bake and then mix in some unsweetened applesauce or crushed pineapple for extra moisture and sweetness. Or cut small slices and cook these mixed with rice.

Nuts

Although high in calories, nuts often enable people to maintain or lose weight. A small handful eaten between meals or added to salads, grains or vegetables gives a sense of satiety and results in less total food intake. Nuts have great nutritional benefits, as well.
Almonds, pecans and pistachios are rich in protein.
Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids.
Toss sesame seeds in a meal for extra calcium and vitamin E.
Sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are particularly good sources of phytosterols, also known as plant sterols, which promote heart health.
Make sure not to pick the salted or roasted ones, they contain added salt and saturated fat. Choose fresh nuts instead.

Broccoli

Besides providing calcium, potassium, folate and fiber, broccoli contains phytonutrients – compounds that may help prevent diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Broccoli contains the antioxidant beta-carotene and is also an excellent source of vitamin C.

Olive oil

Several large studies suggest that the mono saturated fat in olive oil is good for the heart. Olive oil lower bad cholesterol levels and increases the good levels.
Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants – it’s probably one of the key protective aspects of the so-called Mediterranean diet.

Blueberries

Blueberries are a rich, low-calorie source of fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. Regular intake of blueberries may improve short-term memory and reduce the cellular damage associated with aging.

Apples

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This old saying is definitely true. Apples are a good source of vitamin C, which keeps the body’s cells healthy. Vitamin C also helps the body absorb other nutrients, such as iron (for healthy blood) and folate (for building cells and preventing birth defects). Apples also contain pectin, which like all types of fiber can reduce cholesterol and glucose.

Vegetable Juice

Vegetable juice has most of the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in the original vegetables and is an easy way to include vegetables in your diet. Tomato juice and vegetable juices that include tomatoes are good sources of lycopene, an antioxidant that may reduce the risk of heart attack, prostate cancer and possibly other types of cancer. Some vegetable and tomato juices are very high in sodium, so be sure to select the low-sodium varieties. Or even better, make them yourself.

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of magnesium. French researchers recently determined that men with the highest levels of magnesium in their blood have a 40 percent lower risk of early death than those with the lowest levels. And on average, men consume 353 mg of the mineral daily, well under the 420 mg minimum recommended by the USDA. In terms of their fat content, pumpkin seeds are a good way to get both the omega 3 and 6 essential fats needed for hormone balance, brain function and skin health. According to Chinese Medicin pumpkin seeds are beneficial for sexual health in men.

Garlic

This little plant is rich in vitamins C and B6. It also has antibacterial properties, which can be helpful during cold and flu season. Finally, research has shown that garlic can have a preventative effect for both heart disease and diabetes.

Spinach

Popeye’s favourite is high in vitamin A and is a solid source of calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, riboflavin and vitamins B-6 and C. The plant compounds spinach contains may boost the immune system and help prevent certain types of cancer.

Healthy food and weight loss

If you want to know what eating healthy food can do for your body, check out the website http://www.bistromd.com. They give you some good information on how a healthy diet can help you loose weight, and you can even order a complete weight loss menu to be delivered right to your door. 

Tip:

Even if you feel you don’t have the time to cook a decent meal – which actually should be on top of your priority list – you still can eat some raw vegetables. Washing them takes as much time as opening up some package of prefab food, and you eat much healthier.