1. Sweet Potatoes
    A nutritional All-Star - one of the best vegetables you can eat. They're loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Mix in unsweetened applesauce or crushed pineapple for extra moisture and sweetness.


  2. Grape Tomatoes
    They're sweeter and firmer than other tomatoes, and their bite-size shape makes them perfect for snacking, dipping, or salads. They're packed with vitamin C and vitamin A, and you also get some fiber, some phytochemicals, and (finally) some flavor.


  3. Fat-free (Skim) Milk
    Excellent source of calcium, vitamins, and protein with little or no aretery-clogging fat and cholesterol. This goes for unflavored, low-fat yogurt as well. Soy milk can have just as many nutrients - if the company adds them.


  4. Broccoli
    Lots of vitamin C, carotenoids, and folic acid.


  5. Wild Salmon
    The omega-3 fats in fatty fresh fish like wild salmon can help reduce the risk of sudden-death heart attacks. Salmon that is caught wild has less dioxin contaminant than farmed salmon. Also, wild salmon is normally less fatty than farmed salmon.


  6. Crispbreads
    Whole-grain rye crackers, like Wasa, Ry Krisp, and Ryvita - usually called crispbreads - are loaded with fiber and are often fat-free.


  7. Microwaveable or "10-minute" Brown Rice
    Enriched white rice is nutritionally bankrupt. You lose the fiber, magnesium, vitamins E and B-6, copper, zinc, and who-knows-what phytochemicals that are in the whole grain. Try regular brown rice instead.


  8. Citrus Fruits
    Great-tasting and rich in vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber. Perfect for a snack or dessert. Try different varieties: juicy Minneola oranges, snack-size Clementines, or tart grapefruits.


  9. Diced Butternut Squash
    A growing number of food stores sell peeled, seeded, cut, and ready to go - into the oven, into a stir-fry, or into a soup or risotto, that is - bags of diced butternut squash. Every half cup has 5 grams of fiber and payloads of vitamins A and C.


  10. Pre-washed, Pre-cut Bags of Greens
    Greens like kale, spinach, and broccoli rabe are nutritional power houses. Most are loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, calcium, folate, potassium, and fiber. Now it's easy to squeeze healthy greens into your busy schedule.

Comment