If your wanting to lose a few pounds but love food too much and cant afford to diet, try incorporating these 10 super foods into your diet to adopt healthy eating strategies! You gotta start somewhere!
Never heard of some of these ingredients and not sure how to prepare them- check out my cooking tips I included.
- Quinoa– It may cook like a grain, but quinoa is actually an herbaceous plant. It’s a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids, and offers the same energy and satiety you would get from meat. Cooking Tip: Stir fresh lemon juice and chopped fresh dill into cooked quinoa or broccoli to serve on top of a light fish
- Wild Salmon– Its omega-3 fatty acids may improve your mood and keep your skin glowing. Why wild? It’s exposed to fewer toxins than the farmed Atlantic variety. Cooking Tip: For breakfast, mash some avocado on whole-grain toast and top with flaked poached salmon.
- Canola & Vegetable Oil– An outstanding source of monounsaturated fats. Cooking Tip: Gently heat olive oil with fresh herbs (such as rosemary and thyme). Drizzle on pasta, steamed vegetables
- Kale– this leafy green has loads of vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, and antioxidants. Kale is also a good source of lutein, an eye-friendly nutrient. Cooking Tip: Make kale chips by tearing the leaves into pieces and tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 300° F until crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Avocados-You’ll get nearly 20 percent of your daily dose of fiber in one ½-cup serving. Cooking Tip: For a side dish, halve an avocado, drizzle with soy sauce and fresh lime juice, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds
- Sweet Potatoes-The darker the color, the richer these tubers are in the antioxidant beta-carotene. Cooking Tip: For a side dish, steam cut-up sweet potatoes and apples. Puree with maple syrup.
- Edamame– These young soybeans pack more fiber per serving than shredded-wheat cereal. Cooking Tip: Puree cooked edamame with garlic, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice for a quick hummus-like spread
- Broccoli– It’s a key source of vitamin K, which helps blood clot properly. Cooking Tip: Toss with olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Roast at 375° F until tender. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan before serving
- Almonds– Packed with monounsaturated fatty acids, which keep blood vessels healthy. The plant fibers help lower cholesterol. Cooking Tip: Fold chopped almonds into cooked whole grains, along with raisins or dried currants
- Kiwi– this fuzzy fruit contains twice the amount of vitamin C as an orange. Cooking Tip: Thinly slice, then drizzle with honey and sprinkle with toasted unsweetened coconut