TIP OF THE DAY: 5 Healthy Foods To Integrate Into your Diet

March 31, 2011 at 7:15 am · Filed under Diet Nibbles, Fruits, Nuts & Seeds, Tip Of The Day

We don’t want National Nutriton Month (March) to roll away without sharing some healthy food recommendations. Whole grains are one of our favorite easy switches and there are lists and lists of others. These five foods were nominated by Healthy Steps by Jokari. They’re easy to integrate into your diet. Walnuts. A rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Work an ounce a day into your diet: as a snack, mixed into yogurt or sprinkled onto a salad. Flaxseed. More than 50% of the fat in flaxseed is omega-3 fatty acid, making flaxseed the richest plant source of omega-3. The nutty flavor is also appealing. Add it to cereal, yogurt, salads and other dishes.		Snack on walnuts—they’re great for you. Photo courtesy SXC.
Pomegranate. Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants, possibly with more antioxidant properties than red wine or green tea. They’re packed with folic acid, potassium, niacin, vitamin C, iron, calcium and fiber. Switch your orange juice to pomegranate juice, or your apple or orange snack for a whole pomegranate. Salmon. This popular fish is a very good source of easily digestible proteins, fatty acids like omega-3s, vitamins A, D and some of the B vitamins, and minerals like selenium, zinc, phosphorus, calcium and iron. Dark Greens. Calorie for calorie, dark greens are perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium) and vitamins (including vitamins K, C, E and many of the B vitamins). Try mustard greens, turnip greens, fresh spinach, or chard—Swiss, red or rainbow. Greens are spectacular when quickly heated in a skillet with a little olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. It doesn’t take much effort to eat a healthier diet. A journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single walnut or dish of sautéed spinach.