Super foods
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Catherine Saxelby gives us the top 5 super foods to help you stay in good health, boost your energy and slow the ageing process. Put more of these nutritional superstars into your daily diet. |
Why these five?
Identifying nutrient-rich, health-promoting foods isn't difficult! What's tough is narrowing it down to only 5 foods.
I've chosen these 5 to represent a food from each food group. Each of my super foods is nutrient-dense which means it supplies high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, fibre and phyto-nutrients (antioxidants) for few kilojoules/calories and is easy to incorporate into an average diet.
This doesn't mean that other foods aren't worth eating - they are! Variety remains an important part of good nutrition. You wouldn't want to eat only berries day after day. But if you're watching your weight and only want to eat two pieces of fruit a day, it pays to make berries one of those two.
Pink salmon
Aim to eat oily fish twice a week for its omega-3 fats, unique fatty acids which can prevent stickiness of the blood, steady the heart beat and lower blood pressure. Fish is 'brain food' too - good for the brain, eyes and nerves. Salmon is also rich in protein with important amounts of zinc, iron and B vitamins. Choose whole fish for dinner or canned for lunch with a salad.
Close contenders: any other oily fish such as tuna, sardine, trout, mullet, mackerel, canned sardines and canned tuna (check label for claim about omega-3 as not all canned tuna is a rich source).
Spinach
Grandma was right when she insisted you finish off all your spinach! It's a green leafy vegetable that's chock full of nutrition. For instance, it's an outstanding source of vitamin C and folate as well as beta-carotene (converted to vitamin A in the body) and vitamin E.
Ophthalmologists recommend spinach for its lutein and zeaxanthin. These two phyto-nutrients can help protect our eyes as we age, so keeping macular degeneration at bay (a leading cause of blindness in older people). Eat it raw as baby spinach leaves or cooked by lightly sautéing chopped spinach.
Close contenders: silverbeet, Asian greens such as boy choy, watercress, rocket (arugula) and dark-green lettuces such as mignonette or mesclun salad mix.
Blueberries
Blueberries have elite nutritional qualities which is why they feature so often on lists of super foods. Blueberries are notable for their anthocynanins, which give them their blue-red colour and help to protect against cancer and heart disease and slow down the ageing process. They're more researched than any other berry!
Add to that the fact that blueberries are a good source of vitamin C and fibre and top up a number of essential minerals like potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. B vitamins such as folate (which helps prevent birth defects in babies) and niacin (releases energy from food) are also present. If you're watching your weight, half a punnet supplies a mere 100 kilojoules and makes a guiltless indulgence after dinner.
Close contenders: blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, bilberries and mixed berries (fresh or frozen).
Almonds
Include a handful of these nutrition-packed nuts regularly and you'll make a good investment in your heart's health. Almonds offer healthy fats, vitamin E, fibre and arginine (an amino acid) - factors that lower the 'bad' cholesterol or keep arteries elastic. Surprisingly, almonds are notable for their high calcium content - 1/3 cup offers 125 mg of calcium, as much as half a glass of milk - but it's not as well absorbed.
Close contenders: walnuts, pecans and Brazils.
Wholegrain bread
Forget white bread! Go for those solid grainy loaves and you'll reap the benefits in terms of better digestion, regularity and healthier gums.
Research shows whole grains can help prevent Type 2 Diabetes and stabilise blood sugar levels. Wholegrain bread delivers fibre (three times as much as white), B vitamins such as thiamin (B1), niacin and folate along with iodine and phosphorus. It is low GI so you'll feel fuller for longer.
Close contenders: dark rye bread, pumpernickel, wholegrain crispbread, brown rice and rolled oats.
More articles by renowned dietitian and nutritionist Catherine Saxelby