Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.
Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.
Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.
Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.
Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.
Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.
Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.
Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.
Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.
Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.
Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.
Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.
營養師兼作者約翰尼鮑登列出了幾張食物清單,這些食物人們應該吃但并沒有吃。但有些他的最愛,比如馬齒莧、番石榴和枸杞并不是常常能在雜貨店買到。鮑登博士著有《世界上最健康的150種食物》,我請他補充他的食物清單,這些食物都是容易找到的,但不會經常出現在我們的購物單里面。以下是他的建議:
1.甜菜:想想如菠菜一類的甜菜。鮑登博士說,甜菜富含葉酸和能抗癌的天然紅色素。
吃法:生吃,做成沙拉。加熱會降低抗氧化劑的功效。
2.卷心菜:富含薩夫若分,一種據說能夠增加抗癌酵素的化學物。
吃法:亞式的沙拉或漢堡和三文治上面那脆脆的蔬菜。
3.莙荙菜:一種綠葉蔬菜,富含能夠防止眼睛老化的胡蘿卜素。
吃法:切碎,用橄欖油炒。
4.肉桂:能夠幫助控制血糖和膽固醇。
吃法:灑在咖啡或燕麥上
5.石榴汁:能夠降血壓,富含抗氧化劑
吃法:就這樣喝
6. 干梅:它們只是果脯,但富含抗氧化劑
吃法:用意大利火腿包裹著烘烤
7.南瓜籽:南瓜籽是南瓜中最有營養的部分,富含鎂,豐富的礦物能夠延緩早衰
吃法:當小吃一樣烤,或灑在沙拉上
8. 沙丁魚:鮑登博士稱其為“罐頭里的健康食物”。沙丁魚富含歐米茄-3脂肪酸,不含貢,含鈣量豐富。含鐵、鎂、磷、鉀、鋅、銅、錳以及豐富的維他命B。
吃法:選擇有橄欖油或沙丁油的沙丁魚,和沙拉一起吃,或放在土司上面,或與芥末、洋蔥一起搗碎作為調料。
9. 姜黃:“香料之王”,它可能含有鎮定劑和抗癌成分
吃法:與炒蛋或與任何的蔬菜一起吃
10. 冰藍莓:雖然冰凍會降低水果和蔬菜里的一部分營養價值,但冰藍莓一年四季都可以吃而且不會腐爛。在動物試驗中,冰藍莓與記憶力提高有關系。
吃法:與酸奶或巧克力豆奶混合吃,或與碎杏仁一起吃
11.罐頭南瓜:一種低熱量的蔬菜,富含纖維和免疫刺激的維他命A。熱量少,但能填飽肚子
吃法:與一點黃油、肉桂、肉豆蔻混合著吃。