Turning your diet around can be intimidating. Everyone wishes they knew exactly what to do, but navigating your own personal health can be nerve-wracking. As you can say "fruits and vegetables" what does a sustainable healthy diet really look like? And what makes something healthy anyway? Well, the truth is, a healthy diet is made up of balanced foods. Eating a kale salad for breakfast, lunch, and dinner isn't going to cut it--a strong diet needs variety. Here are eleven staple foods for a healthy lifestyle. Even with limited time (trust me, I'm busy too), these foods can be easily and quickly prepared for healthy and delicious meals. These eleven foods are nutrient dense and will fuel your body, enriching it with their superfood properties. Enjoy!
1. Sweet potatoes
A staple superfood, sweet potatoes are loaded with nutrients to fuel your day--plus they're delicious. Studies have proven that you can actually survive on sweet potatoes alone, that's how healthy they are. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. They are also full of potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin B (1 and 2) and phosphorus.
Food tip: Try incorporating sweet potatoes into a black bean chili, or microwaving them until they're soft and eating them with ketchup.
2. Quinoa
It's just like rice, but better! Seriously, quinoa is amazing. Not only is it one the most protein-rich foods you can eat, but it contains nearly twice as much dietary fiber as other grains, it's full of iron and magnesium, and it's even gluten free. Anytime you would normally have rice or pasta, try having quinoa instead. It fits perfectly into countless dishes.
Food tip: One of my favorite dishes are delicious sweet potato and quinoa cakes. Test the water, experiment, and learn to love this superfood grain.
3. Bananas
Bananas, bananas, bananas. They're one of those foods that everybody eats, but nobody eats properly. Bananas are richest in nutrients when they are fully ripe--that means that they're yellow with black speckles. Studies have shown that fully ripe bananas even contain cancer-combatting properties. Bananas are full of potassium, vitamin B6, fiber, and even contain nutrients that moderate blood sugar levels. Bananas contain benefits for digestion, heart health, and weight loss, as well as being a delicious sweet snack.
Food tip: Try having a piece of toast with almond butter and a cut up banana as a filling and delicious breakfast or snack.
4. Black beans
Black beans are one of the most protein dense foods ever, with 39 grams of protein in just one cup! They are also loaded with fiber, potassium, folate and vitamin B6, plus they lack cholesterol, all supporting heart health. The fiber in black beans even decreases the risk of heart disease.
Food tip: Try subbing black beans for pinto beans next time you have Mexican food. And try out a delicious black bean and sweet potato chili!
5. Avocados
Avocados are just so good. They're "in" right now, as in everybody loves them, and for a good reason. Arguably one of the healthiest foods on the planet, full of nutrient-dense healthy fats, dietary fiber and minerals. Avocados are so easy to work with too, because who doesn't love guacamole?
Food tip: Try having a slice of toast with mashed avocado, sliced tomato, and ground pepper - delicious!
6. Almond butter
A healthier alternative to peanut butter, almond butter offers cardiovascular benefits because of its high fiber and healthy fat content. These fats improve blood cholesterol levels to fight off cardiovascular disease, as well as provide long-lasting energy. Almond butter is delicious. It's natural sweetness and gritty-smooth texture is perfect to pair with a cut of apple or a piece of toast.
Food tip: A cut up banana with almond butter makes for a delicious crunchy-sweet breakfast or snack.
7. Kale
Arguably the healthiest food on the planet, kale has loads of health benefits. It's super low calorie yet high fiber makeup means that you can eat a lot of it, and it will act as a great digestive aid. Kale is also high in iron, vitamin K, and full of antioxidants. It is also a great anti-inflammatory food and lowers cholesterol. Kale is also rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and calcium. It acts as a great detox food as it helps aid your digestive process and keeps your liver clean and healthy. There is definitely a stigma around kale, but don't knock it 'till you try it! It's delicious raw in a salad, or sautéed with a delicious warm meal.
Food tip: Try making homemade kale chips using only kale, olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper for an awesome healthy snack.
8. Sprouted bread
Ezekiel's sprouted bread is a staple in my everyday diet. It's simple - just sub out white or regular wheat bread for this superfood. Sprouted bread is made with wheat that has already begun sprouting, which means it's full of health benefits. Sprouted bread kills phytic acid, which is known to be a "mineral blocker." It makes gluten and proteins easier to break down, aiding the digestive process. It also contains more fiber and whole-food based nutrients than regular bread, making it an altogether healthier alternative to normal bread.
Food tip: Ezekiel bread comes in a ton of different flavors and varieties (the cinnamon raisin kind is my personal favorite) and is super easy to add to your diet. Just replace regular bread with this good stuff!
9. Almond milk
Enough with the almond products, I know, but almond milk is such a great alternative to regular milk. Almond milk contains minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc. It is also full of vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate and vitamin E. Regular milk and dairy is just not good for you, and almond milk offers a nutrient dense, delicious alternative. If you don't like almond milk, try coconut milk instead!
Food tip: Try subbing out regular milk for almond milk in all of your milk-inclusive recipes, and then start experimenting with something like a delicious almond/coconut milk curry!
10. Spinach
I love eating spinach raw, but if you're not into that, sautéed spinach is also delicious. Try incorporating it into your diet somehow, because it's a mega-healthy superfood. It's low in fat and even lower in cholesterol, high in protein and zinc and full of fiber. Spinach is also rich in vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, as well as calcium and folate, magnesium and phosphorus, iron, potassium, copper, and manganese.
Food tip: I love putting a couple large handfuls of raw spinach into my morning smoothies - trust me, it's flavor is completely masked by all the sweet fruits. Seriously, try this. We're supposed to eat a lot more leafy greens than most of us do, and incorporating them into something sweet like a smoothie is a great way to get those greens in.
11. Chia seeds
Okay, prepare yourself for this massive list of nutrients that these little seeds possess. Chia seeds are rich in fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and potassium. They best part is, they're so small that you can disguise them easily in any meal or snack. Chia seeds expand in liquid, so make sure that you're consuming them either in or with a liquid to avoid dehydration.
Food tip: I put chia seeds in nearly everything I eat. I add them to pretty much any recipe or snack, ranging from my morning smoothies to a warm dinner. They're so little that I can almost never tell that they're there. If you're not crazy about their texture, try buying ground chia seeds instead, and then they'll really be disguised!
Food should be both delicious and beneficial to your body, and these eleven foods certainly are both. I salute you for trying to boost your diet, and I hope that you are able to incorporate these superfoods into your everyday life. Good luck!
