Super Foods

The foundation to good health is eating nutritious food.  Food and water are what give you energy and keep core functions of the body working.  It’s important to develop a good relationship with food.  Understanding what ingredients make up your meals and snacks helps you ensure you’re getting the proper nutrients your body needs.

Eating properly is also a humungous challenge, especially in our country.  Convenient “fast” foods, large portions and additives added to foods are now a part of the norm.  It’s time to go against the norm and focus on eating healthy, wholesome food.

Super foods are readily available at the store.
Most super foods are every day items you're
probably already using!

I like to believe that I am generally a healthy eater.  My challenge is that I love treats.  I have a hard time saying no to chocolate and ice cream.  Having a little indulgence every now and then is fine but that can be tough for me!  It’s good for you to identify what tops your list of eating challenges.  Maybe you don’t have time to cook so you rely on someone else (aka fast food restaurants) or you just don’t know what constitutes healthy food.

One of the best and most informative things I’ve done for my health and eating is going on a grocery store tour with a dietitian.  I learned so much valuable information, even for someone who thought they knew something about healthy eating.  I came home with great tips, new foods to try and a better understanding of how to pick out nutrient-rich foods.  I highly recommend doing this!

Sometimes, whether you have any food knowledge or not, it’s challenging to eat well.  It’s easy to get confused or frustrated.  Instead of starting with what to avoid, try starting with what to include.  “Super foods” is still a relatively recent buzz phrase in the health world.  Super foods supply the essential nutrients your body was designed to consume.  No one super food does it all; you have to find the right mix and consume a variety of these foods.

There are many meal and snack options available for
sweet potatoes, peppers and walnuts!

Here’s a list of 15 super foods:

• asparagus
• spinach
• sweet potatoes
• bell peppers
• greek yogurt
• grapes
• quinoa
• salmon
• black beans
• olive oil
• blueberries
• walnuts
• natural peanut butter
• hummus
• dark chocolate

Yes, it’s true; in moderation, dark chocolate has some awesome antioxidants that make it a super food.  I recommend that you research each of these foods to better understand what nutrients they give you and how that impacts your health.  Take the time to find the natural versions of these products as well.  All too often companies find ways to add unnecessary and unhealthy additives to foods.

Use these super foods as the base of your next meal or snack.  Add natural peanut butter to celery, chop up bell peppers and add them to your quinoa or enjoy a small square of dark chocolate.  Do me a favor and take the time to savor the foods when you eat them.  While everything may not be your favorite, I bet you find that many of these foods taste great and make you feel good because they’re helping your body function properly.

What’s your favorite super food?  (Mine is sweet potatoes!).  What’s your favorite dish using super foods?  Come back and share new recipes you’ve found or new super foods you've tried!


Miss FitGab


PS - Thanks to everyone who has followed my blog and/or Facebook and Twitter accounts!  I appreciate the support and feedback!  Unless there's a sudden rush of new followers by 12/31, it doesn't look like I'll be sending out a little gift pack right now, but keep following and sharing with your friends.  When I do hit 25 followers on the blog or 50 "likes" on Facebook, I will send out a special "healthy" gift pack to a follower :)