5 Super Foods to Add to Your Diet

For those looking to eat healthy, the options are certainly endless. With the rise of natural and organic foods in grocery stores, it is certainly easy to make good food choices. But why not step it up a notch and choose a nutritionally dense, energy driven, and delicious food? These "super foods" are perfect picks for the job.

Lean Red Meat

The health benefits of lean red meat are substantial. A proper serving of lean meat contains a complete protein, and all nine essential amino acids needed by the body for growth and development. It also is it is an excellent source of B-complex vitamins, and contains a significant amount of zinc and copper in readily absorbable forms. Lean meat is also very rich in heme iron, a more readily absorbed form of iron in the body, and when eaten together with vegetables will help your body to absorb the non heme iron also found in some vegetables.

Unless you are a vegan or vegetarian, you are probably familiar with eating red meat. While there are many nutritional benefits from eating red meat, there are guidelines to get the most from your serving. Always choose lean cuts of beef, such as round steaks and some cuts of sirloin. And serving portion is the big key in getting the health benefits of lean meat minus the high cholesterol (which puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease). A proper portion of lean steak is only 3 to 4 ounces, roughly the size of a deck of cards. While it may not seem like a lot, there are other ways to eat lean beef than just steak.

Try it In:

Stir-Fry

Thinly sliced, with plenty of fresh veggies, this is a great way to enjoy your lean beef. Saute with very little oil, and serve over brown rice. Marinating your meat beforehand will also help to tenderize any tough cuts and give it great flavor.

Spinach

This leafy green is truly a powerhouse of goodness. Rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, and several antioxidants. Of course, spinach contains loads of folic acid, which helps to prevent spinal and brain birth defects. Women are especially encouraged to get enough folic acid before and during their pregnancies.

In fact, folic acid was first purified from spinach. To fully absorb the benefits of spinach, it is best to eat it raw, steamed, or quickly boiled. The longer spinach boils, the more nutrients are lost. A 3.5 oz serving of fresh spinach contains 49% of the recommended daily amount of folate.

Try it In:

Salad

Whether eaten alone or in combination with other lettuces, a spinach salad is a great way to go. Add oranges, diced chicken, carrots, mushrooms, and the dressing of your choice. The options are endless.

Bananas

If you're looking for potassium packed food, look no further than a banana.

Long beloved as a delicious fruit, the banana may seem small, but it packs a punch nutritionally. Just one large banana (about 9 inches in length) has 602 mg of potassium. Also full of fiber, protein, B vitamins, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc! With all that goodness, you can't go wrong, especially when you find out there is only 2 mg sodium in a large banana, perfect for those on a low-sodium diet.

While a banana makes a great energy snack, you can also enjoy the banana's sister, the plantain. Long eaten in Latin American and tropical countries, the green plantains are usually cooked and then served. In fact, the plantain actually has more vitamins and minerals, but the same protein and fiber content as the banana.

Try it In:

Fruit Salad

Combine fresh sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, kiwis, melon (any fresh seasonal fruits will do) with ¼ of a cup of orange or pineapple juice. Chill for an hour, and serve for breakfast, brunch, or as a healthy snack or dessert.

Almonds

Yet another delicious natural food, the almond is definitely in. Just a handful (a one ounce serving, about 28 almonds) contains excellent sources of vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Almonds also contain heart healthy monounsaturated fat.

There are many health benefits to eating almonds, including maintaining a healthy waistline. In a study published in The National Journal of Obesity, women who added almonds to a low-fat, reduced calorie diet enhanced their weight loss and helped to curb appetite. Almonds are also great in helping to lower cholesterol levels. In fact, clinical trials for the American Heart Association have shown that men and women who ate one ounce of almonds daily for a month lowered their LDL cholesterol levels by 4.4 points. And those who ate 2 ounces were lowered 9.4 points.

Try it In:

Almond Trail Mix

Add roasted almonds, shelled sunflower seeds, dried fruit, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, ¼ tsp. ground ginger. Mix and spread evenly on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes on 300. Store in an airtight container. You can also use almonds in salads, baked goods, and as a breading for chicken.

Salmon

Though most people know that fish is a healthy part of a balanced diet, some may not know the benefits of adding salmon to that diet. A red orange fleshed fish, salmon is healthful both fresh and frozen. Salmon is low in calories and saturated fat, but high in protein. Also, essential omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon. Omega-3 fatty acids aid the heart in preventing erratic heart rhythms, help prevent blood clotting in arteries, and help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol.

Salmon also contains excellent amounts of selenium, phosophorus, magnesium, and vitamin B6. A four-ounce serving of salmon contains over 33% of the recommended amount of omega-3 needed daily. This 4 ounce serving also provides 56.7% of daily niacin and 51.2% of vitamin B-12 recommended each day for adults. Whether baked or broiled, salmon is a good bet for your heart.

Try it In:

Baked Salmon Packets

Season salmon with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Place on top of 4 seasoned asparagus spears and fold into a piece of foil or parchment. Seal and bake on a cookie sheet in a 450 degree oven for 15-18 minutes, until fish is opaque.

So there you have it. 5 great foods, 5 great ways to improve your daily food intake. While not everyone can or chooses to eat all of these foods, chances are you will find something here to enjoy. Always remember your physician or nutritionist is the best source for diet and nutrition advice. However, you can always give your body a good start by choosing nutritiously sound foods every time. For more information on choosing a balanced diet, check out the USDA new food pyramid guidelines at: http://www.mypyramid.gov/.

Sources:

http://www.outlands.co.nz/ironfor.htm

http://nutrition.about.com/od/meatsandproteinsources/a/leanbeef.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinach#Nutrition

http://www.banana.com/nutrition.html

http://www.almondsarein.com/AlmondLovers/http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=104#purchasequalities