Eating healthy can be a challenge. After all, nothing beats a late-night run for some big, juicy California burritos and carne asada fries. Unfortunately, we can’t keep up this trend for the rest of our lives. As good as that seedy Mexican joint that you always frequent might be, that kind of food is liable to cause heart disease and a host of other health problems down the road. Our best bet is to stick with leafy greens and a well-balanced diet, but habits can be hard to break, and a Big Mac with a McFlurry sounds way more appetizing than a kale salad with a glass of water. Luckily, not all healthy foods are disgusting, and the 11 food items on this list are a piece of cake.
1. Avocados
Seriously, who doesn’t love avocados? You can make guacamole with them, you can pair them up with just about any lunch and they even make a great alternative to butter on your morning toast. If you haven’t already tried avocado toast, it’s something you need to do ASAP. This amazing fruit is loaded with fiber, which promotes weight loss, and monounsaturated fats, which reduce inflammation and can actually reduce your risk of cancer.
2. Raspberries
These little red berries are an essential ingredient in every good fruit cup. They’re known to have several antioxidants like Vitamin C and ellagic acid, both of which fight against cancer and circulatory diseases. In fact, ellagic acid has been clinically proven to cause cell death in some types of cancer cells. Not to mention the fact that raspberries are delicious. Next time you’re watching a movie, try switching out that bag of popcorn with a bowl of raspberries.
3. Bananas
Sadly, banana bread doesn’t count as a health food, but bananas are still delicious by themselves. They make a great addition to any bowl of Greek yogurt or healthy cereal, as well as a good snack for on-the-go. Besides being a great source of potassium, bananas promote weight loss and contain several important antioxidants. The average banana only has about 100 calories, but they contain a compound known as resistant starch, which helps you to feel full. That way, bananas help you to eat less and continue on your path towards a healthy diet.
4. Sushi
Sushi is extremely popular in American culture. However, your taste for sushi largely depends on your ability to stomach raw fish. For those of us that love sushi, here is some extra great news about this Japanese culinary masterpiece. Sushi is a tasty way to get tons of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to reduce bad cholesterol levels in your body. This lowers your risk of suffering from heart conditions like heart attacks, strokes and clogged arteries. Be careful about adding sweet sauces or ordering crunchy rolls, however, as this can double the amount of calories that you’ll get from eating your sushi.
5. Cake
Okay, now I have your attention. First of all, I’m not talking about the ridiculously unhealthy ice-cream cake that you got for your ninth birthday. These cakes generally have to be homemade, since it’s best if you tweak the recipe to fit your dietary needs. By cutting back on the added sugars, using whole-grain flour, and filling it with fruits like pineapples and apples, you’ve got yourself a healthy dessert that you don’t have to feel guilty about. Even chocolate and frosting can be good for you (in moderation, of course) as they increase levels of serotonin, which puts you in a good mood.
6. Beans
Beans taste great, they go well with a wide variety of foods and they’re excellent sources of plant protein. You’ll eat seven grams of protein by eating half a cup of them, as well as balancing your blood sugar and lowering your cholesterol levels. To get the best health benefits from beans, avoid eating canned or processed beans. These have higher levels of sodium and less nutrients.
7. Honey
Everyone loves eating dessert and sweet stuff, but not many people love seeing all that sugar pile up in their diet. Honey is a great alternative to sugar and has several health benefits attached to it. It improves athletic performance by maintaining glycogen levels in the body. Honey also soothes throat irritation and it works great for healing coughs and allergies. You don’t even need to go to the pharmacy when you have a bad cold; honey will do most of the job for you.
8. Coconuts
Coconut oil has made huge waves in diet fads and on health websites, but coconut meat is just as healthy. The inner lining of the coconut has long been considered unhealthy for its high saturated fat content, but recent studies have shown that the meat of the coconut contains medium chain triglycerides. These supply alternative energy sources in the body, which is great for people suffering from neurological disorders. These degenerative illnesses disable the brain’s ability to utilize glucose, and the ketone bodies derived from coconut meat supply the brain with energy, therefore serving as a type of therapy for people that suffer from illnesses like Alzheimer’s.
9. Walnuts
Adding nuts into your diet can make you lose weight over time. A study done with walnuts showed that people that incorporated walnuts into their diet lost about 1.4 extra pounds. Studies on people with type 2 diabetes show that eating walnuts also reduces their fasting insulin levels, which improves their quality of life. For people trying to lose weight, walnuts help to increase your satiety, which makes you feel full.
10. Papaya
It’s pretty commonplace to see apples and oranges in most American kitchens, but papayas? Plenty of people haven’t even heard of this fruit. Nonetheless, you should make it a part of your diet. It helps with indigestion, bone health and heart disease along with many other health problems. They also have a nutrient called choline that reduces chronic inflammation and helps with sleep and muscle movement.
