According to ABC News, there are the 10 foods we should be working into our diet on a more regular basis:
1. Kiwi
2. Broccoli rabe
3. Brazil nuts
4. Edamame
5. Red lentils
6. Quinoa
7. Canned salmon
8. Prawns
9. Whole grain and multigrain pastas
10. Pomegranate
I included pictures of the ones you might not know immediately by name.
I can only check off #9 as something we do on a regular basis. I purchases some canned salmon, but now I realize I’m not quite sure how to use it. A little digging led me to this site which ha some canned salmon recipes. I need to buy some whole wheat wraps to give those salmon wraps a try.
What “super foods” do you incorporate into your diet that I should be trying?
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April 17th, 2009 on 12:35 pm
We love edamame in our house! Sometimes, in the pods and steamed with salt (like at a japanese restaurant), or cooked in various dishes. This is my husband’s favorite (and it’s easy to make): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Edamamae-Succotash-Salad-243129
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April 17th, 2009 on 12:35 pm
We love edamame in our house! Sometimes, in the pods and steamed with salt (like at a japanese restaurant), or cooked in various dishes. This is my husband’s favorite (and it’s easy to make): http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Edamamae-Succotash-Salad-243129
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April 17th, 2009 on 12:56 pm
Sweet potatoes are my favorite super food! According to Runner’s World a sweet potato “Contains more potassium than a banana and a hefty dose of the cancer-fighter beta carotene.”
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April 17th, 2009 on 12:59 pm
I wonder why it says canned salmon versus fresh salmon?? I do love me a salmon salad sandwich (ala tuna salad, with mayo, etc.)
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R Reply:
April 17th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Only because it is easier and often cheaper.
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April 17th, 2009 on 1:07 pm
I love Brazil Nuts. I’ll have to pick some up this weekend. I adore edamame especially in salads! I discovered that I love Quinoa. I make it instead of rice!
Perhaps an upcoming challenge could be to try one of these in a dish. Just an idea.
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April 17th, 2009 on 1:10 pm
I take those “super food” claims with a grain of salt. Honestly it’s usually media created and has little to no scientific truth to it.
What all the pomegranate and acacia berry companies don’t want you to know is that your body really makes most of the anti-oxidants you need and if you have too many they turn into pro oxidants and cause damage.
There’s a lot of danger to things like vitamin supplements too as they are not regulated by the FDA and can have whatever they want in them. There was a recent study that showed a lot had dangerously high levels of things like Vitamin A that taken in excesive amounts cause things like liver damage.
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April 17th, 2009 on 1:17 pm
“Can anyone else name a another seed that’s been *masquerading* as a nut?”….”The brazil nut”
“Was his question ‘what’s more boring than him’?”
A little Friends humor for you
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Jenna Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Oh how I adore Friends. I’m surprised I didn’t remember that reference. Hahaha!
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April 17th, 2009 on 1:19 pm
Mmm, I love Quinoa! It’s a great replacement for rice in just about any meal.
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April 17th, 2009 on 1:29 pm
Almonds and raisins. Not to mention, these make great quick power snacks when you’re at work and unable to get a good lunch!
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April 17th, 2009 on 2:34 pm
I eat a lot of these foods (minus salmon and prawns) because I’m a vegetarian, sooo… I guess that’s good? I’m especially fond of brazil nuts, edamame, lentils and quinoa. Nuts, soy, and beans… veggie staples!
Spinach is good. I think that’s my only recommendation, haha.
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April 17th, 2009 on 2:49 pm
Brazil nuts – ew!
Chickpeas ALL. THE. WAY.
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April 17th, 2009 on 3:53 pm
Quinoa is great, we love it. Also goodies: almonds, almond butter, blueberries, yams.
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April 17th, 2009 on 4:43 pm
I hate lists like this because they aren’t “obvious” in their accuracy. So, sure, red lentils are great. But they aren’t any better than regular lentils, they just cook faster. I haven’t tried broccoli rabe because it isn’t any more nutritious than kale, but is much more expensive. ::sigh:: I’m cheap!
My husband eats canned salmon, but I hate the smell! So not worth it.
As for what you should try… how about flax seeds? Not sure if the fat works for your diet, but it is really good omega 3s, full of fiber and protein.
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April 17th, 2009 on 5:19 pm
Mostly I just eat whole foods- I try to steer away from processed in general. Brown rice, whole wheat pasta, fruits and veggies in their natural state, preferable grown locally, lots of water. Everything on this list I think is yummy, except canned salmon : /
Also, as a random aside, although related to food, I was wondering what you thought of the Fat Acceptance movement Jenna (or anyone else for that matter)
http://www.kateharding.net (the blog is called Shapely Prose) is the most popular. Basically they say that obesity isn’t bad for your health, that diets don’t work, and that the obesity epidemic is manufactured to make people feel bad about their bodies. Even up into 230, 300 pounds they say that it’s natural and healthy and that diets are bad for you and your self esteem and you shouldn’t try and lose weight, that you weigh what you do naturally.
Anyway, it’s kind of controversial, and interesting, anyone heard of it? Sorry for the tangent, but the food/health post made me think of it
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Valerie Reply:
April 17th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
I’m big on the Health at Any Size movement. It probably is because A. I am FAT. Obese even because I weigh 80 pounds over that silly “BMI standard” for my height. B. I am healthy in regards to blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. I get it checked yearly, so I know. C. I am in shape. D. I am vegetarian and ebb to almost vegan.
Yet, the only time I have ever lost weight my entire life was when I was deathly ill due to a gall bladder malfunction and I lost 20 pounds in two weeks. I mean, I was sick to the point of hospitalization and existed on saltines, water, and jello. Not healthy. But otherwise, I don’t drop more than 5 to 10 pounds when I really bust my butt on exercise.
I seriously encourage people to read junkfood science, a blog started by a nutritional nurse. It’s http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/. It’s definitely eye opening and talks a lot about how BMI is an arbitrary number (i.e. doesn’t take into account for muscle mass or bones) and how statistics can be skewed to suit anyone’s agenda.
I honestly do believe the “obesity epidemic” is not real, especially in regards to children who not only grow quickly, but often disproportionately to their heights and weights any given year. It’s a combination of the media (not just TV news, but research journalism especially) molding obscure facts into something to terrify people into believing something is going to harm them and it isn’t really there. These journalists like to cling to one tiny nugget of info in a study and blow it way out of proportion.
Do I think you should feed your kids McDonald’s for every meal and have the TV babysit them? Heck no! Not one bit! But if your kid is fat when they’re 10 and they exercise and you feed them a HEALTHY diet, then maybe, just maybe there’s a little bit of genetics happening in that little body.
Yes, there are fat people that eat horribly. Yes, there are fat people that are lazy and don’t exercise. But the fact of the matter is there are people that are “normal” by BMI standards (ergo “normal” by their doctors that use the BMI as a sole indicator of whether or not someone is overweight or obese) that have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, bum knees and hips, heart attacks, and diabetes.
I don’t mean to rant if this appears to be a rant (I really don’t mean it to be, honestly). Size acceptance is something dear and near to my heart because often times, I get looks of pity, sometimes disgust at my fatness and I just don’t get it. If I can change just one single person’s view that fat doesn’t always have to be disgusting and wicked unhealthy, I would be happy.
People don’t know how I live my life, and often times they’re surprised to find that I don’t stuff my face with pizza, soda, fries, and big greasy hamburgers and that I actually do exercise on a frequent basis. But hey. I’m fat, and a lot of times that’s the only way I’m defined by some people.
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Cristin Reply:
April 18th, 2009 at 9:25 am
You do understand that the intelligent side this this argument (muscles/bones aren’t taken into account) only adds weight to the argument made by people who are unhealthily obese, right? Sure, you don’t eat McDonalds, but lots of obese people DO eat poorly and don’t exercise. This fat is beautiful movement helps your self-confidence as much as it justifies the confidence of an unhealthy mother who tells herself that her videogame playing overweight child will “grow out if it.”
We have more supremely overweight people, by percentage, than any other country. While thyroids and genetics contributes to a number of overweight people everywhere, the US just has many more obese and overweight people who simply don’t eat well or exercise. Other countries have nowhere near our health problems, due to our high levels of obesity. After smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise is the number two reason for premature death in the US .
I’m not writing this so we can all judge fat people. But I really think that the “fat is beautiful” movement is a slippery slope and, while it may bring comfort to people who are genetically justified, it brings unwarranted comfort to people who are just unhealthy.
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Emmie Reply:
April 18th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Yeah, I have to agree with Cristin on this one. I think size acceptance is great, but here’s the thing with heart problems. I had a heart attack at 22 because my birth control created a blood clot, and I made it out just fine and my life is totally normal. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone. The difference between heart attacks created by being overweight and heart attacks created by different circumstances is survival rate. When you have a heart attack many times you have a very low chance of survival, not because of your heart but because the other organs give out. For every extra pound the blood has to travel almost a mile around your body.
I know a lot of people that can’t loose weight, but I think it’s the exception not the rule. It is dangerous to pretend like the obesity epidemic isn’t real. Look at the playgrounds. It is dangerous to their little hearts and even their little knees.
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Valerie Reply:
April 18th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
I guess we’ll (the three of us) just have to agree to disagree on this.
You have to keep this in mind when the media reports on overweight and obese people:
If you are 5′7”, female, and weigh 175 – 190 pounds, you’re overweight by BMI standards regardless of whether you are an athlete or not. Anything more than that, you’re obese, and then eventually you’re morbidly obese. My sister, for example, is a size 10, very muscular because she does intensive weight training and aerobics, but she weights 180 pounds. According to her doctor, she is overweight regardless of her health. I know that example doesn’t carry much weight as another example that the BMI needs to be A TOOL in the arsenal to determine what “overweight” and “obese” is. You know what I mean? BMI can be used with body fat percentage tests, but cannot be used alone because it has no scientific merit.
There’s a difference between fat kids that play video games and fat kids that run around outside and play. I’m not going to pretend that parents aren’t to blame for their fat kids that have their TVs babysit, but I’m not going to judge if I see a fat kid running around on a playground with “normal” kids and getting a reasonable amount of exercise
I’m not saying that all fat is beautiful or all fat is healthy. I’m saying you can be healthy as a 200 pound woman IF and ONLY IF your cholesterol, blood sugar, etc, etc are normal.
Size acceptance doesn’t mean you say, “OK, You’re fat, so you’re beautiful and healthy regardless of whatever you eat or the amount you exercise.” Size acceptance is: I see that you’re fat by my standards, and that is your life choice, so yeah. Doesn’t have anything to do with me.
I just feel like you, Christin, are writing off A MAJORITY of “fat” people by implying (or maybe I’m reading too much into it) that they’re not intelligent or conscientious enough to know that high fat, low fiber diets are BAD.
Also, why are “normal” and “thin” peoples’ hearts stronger than someone that is healthily active and eats an appropriate diet, but fat? That’s like saying all thin people are healthy and their hearts are good because they’re thin, but fat people automatically have bad hearts without taking into account each individual’s diet?
The lesson to take away from this is that even though the media likes to generalize to gross distortion to meet its own agenda of fear mongering, we as individual people have to rationally realize that not all thin people are healthy, nor are all fat people. That’s too black and white to really represent what life and reality are.
We as United States citizens tend to be reliant on other people (the media, the government, our doctors, our peers) to tell us what is healthy, what is thin, what is fat, what is ugly or pretty, or smart. Why do we blindly assume that people in the health profession, especially those that use statistics to “prove” their points, are in it for our best interests? Maybe that makes me paranoid, but I like researching things to really get down to find out what is real and what is manipulated.
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Emmie Reply:
April 18th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
I agree that there is too much pressure to be too skinny and that people, in general, need to love the bodies that they have been given.
I wasn’t suggesting that just because you are skinny you have a good heart. I would never say that something is all, encompassing everyone, because rarely anything is ever “all”. I was suggesting that studies have shown that being over weight, based on the BMI, independently increases your risk for heart disease.
However, if you have good numbers across the board then I guess that person would be genetically blessed. I have really high cholesterol and I have to keep my weight low and watch every single thing I eat to keep the number down.
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Cristin Reply:
April 19th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I don’t want to take over too much more of Jenna’s board, but I do want to respond to the above comments.
There is a strong proven relationship that you are substantially more likely to be unhealthy (ie – higher cholesterol, greater risk for diabetes, greater risk for heart disease) if you have a high BMI. True, not every single person with a high BMI is going to die of heart disease tomorrow (ex: Governor Schwartzenegger has an “obese” BMI and would not be what is conventionally thought of as “obese” because he is not fat). However, I maintain that people who run around shouting that being fat is not categorically unhealthy are doing more harm than good. Perhaps they are improving their own mental state by propagating this little PR campaign on “Beautiful at any size,” but they are simultaneously harming people who are fat AND unhealthy. Nobody is manipulating anyone by encouraing people with a very high BMI to regularly see their doctor and consider beginning a more healthy lifestyle. It makes more sense to warn EVERYONE who is fat to get checked by a doctor and change their lifestyle than to say, “hey, all you guys with risk for diabetes, come on in!” People don’t know what their heart or arteries look like, but they know what fat looks like. Its better to cull all overweight people in an education campaign than no overweight people. Bottom line – there are more UNHEALTHY fat people than HEALTHY fat people. This is not debatable.
Certainly there’s an argument that thin people are unhealthy as well. There are ad campaigns targeting heart disease as the number one killer of women. There are campaigns for all people (every size and shape) to become educated on many diseases. Again though, you are more likely to be at risk for heart disease or diabetes if you are overweight.
As for this comment, “I just feel like you, Christin, are writing off A MAJORITY of “fat” people by implying (or maybe I’m reading too much into it) that they’re not intelligent or conscientious enough to know that high fat, low fiber diets are BAD.”… well, yes, I am saying that because this country doesn’t educate people on nutrition, many people who are overweight don’t understand how to lose weight safely and healthyfully. Additionally, there’s a major issue of access to healthy food in poor neighborhoods (particularly in cities) and the targeting of minorities in junk food ads. So, yes, I do believe that poorer, less educated people tend to be less healthy and are more likely to be overweight. Its cheaper to eat McDonalds than it is to eat at Subway.
I’d suggest reading Food Politics, by Marion Nestle to get more information about how food companies target low income and low educated areas. The government is strongly controlled by dairy and corn farm lobbies, which is one reason why there’s cheese in so many government provided meals (think senior centers and schools).
Summing it up – yes, if you see a fat person and a thin person, you cannot be assured of the state of their bodies. But, pushing this “Fat is Beautiful” movement ignores the literally millions of overweight people in this country who will live longer and more satisfying lives if they are able to become educated about exercise and nutrition. And this movement does so at the expense of a minority of overweight individuals who need a shot of self-confidence in the arm. If you’re happy – be happy! That’s great! But don’t assume that every overweight person has your level of intellect, goes to the doctor regularly, and is physically sound.
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April 17th, 2009 on 5:22 pm
Random question that has nothing to do with food! What hosting service do you use for your sites? I originally wanting a site to store all of my files on, but it would be better to just have a website with ftp access in the end.
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April 17th, 2009 on 6:13 pm
I make a family tried-and-true canned salmon pasta dish. I think I blogged it once **off to check…
Here it is: http://stefaniek.blogspot.com/2009/01/salmon-linguine-with-lemon-dill-butter.html
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April 17th, 2009 on 7:04 pm
That Quinoa is NASTY!! let me tell you i was on a health kick made it and almost BARFED! If you want to try it come on over i have plenty i will never eat!! I think i need a recipe for it i made it plain…seriously discusting!!
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mhb Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 11:13 am
I’m not sure if this is a troll, but might I suggest “Inca Red” Quinoa? My husband (who’s a real meat-and-taters kind of guy) loves the stuff. It’s basically like rice (only with a lot more flavor), so I’ve never eaten it plain. We usually make some Indian food and eat it with quinoa instead of rice. Tasty.
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mhb Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Also – fun fact! – quinoa is pronounced “keen-wah”. So it sounds fun, too.
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Jenna Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 11:50 am
I’ve been saying it wrong (in my head) this whole time!
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Erin Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
I think it tastes great – because it takes on the taste of whatever it is paired with. Vegetables, chicken, and a white wine sauce (Jenna – can you have white wine sauces, or anything that has cooking liquor in it?) and the quinoa adds a nice texture. Yummy and healthy
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Polka Dot Bride Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Honestly quinoa is awesome- I’ve used it as a gluten free alternative for a friend in tabouli salad, it cooks well with stock and is fantastic in Moroccan style dishes. It can really be used anywhere rice can.
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April 18th, 2009 on 2:27 pm
Broccoli rabe is tricky! we made some in the waterless cookware and had to throw it out it was so gross! but the chef at my restaurant has braised it before and it was amazing. So find a recipe, don’t just cook it plain!
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April 19th, 2009 on 12:23 pm
Can I just eat ten times as much kiwi, please?
I’ve never even HEARD of edemame or quinoa, I hate lentils, and brazil nuts are the second most yucky nuts there are (after peanuts). Now if it told me to eat cashews, hazelnuts or almonds, I would be THERE.
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April 19th, 2009 on 3:53 pm
I recently lost 30 pounds over the past year (it was much needed, and I’m glad I did it!) My nutritionist had a few good foods I wanted to pass along.
*Raw almonds
*Spinach and other thermogenic veggies
*Berries (blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
They are yummy and very good for you. Thanks for this post, I think we forget sometimes how many delicious and healthy options we have!
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April 19th, 2009 on 6:09 pm
My fiance eats a bag of edamame in one sitting on a regular basis. I tried to join him in the habit and really enjoyed the taste of them.. on the way down. I tried them twice and both times, about 15 minutes after eating them, my stomach started cramping violently and I ultimately vomited. I’d try them again to see if it was just a lovely coincidence that this occurred both times (I do have a number of digestive problems, after all) but I’m never much in the mood for vomiting if I am indeed allergic/intolerant to soy in that form. I’ve never noticed an intolerance to other soy products, but I’ve never consumed it in any great quantity or concentration and I generally avoid it now.
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Emily Reply:
April 19th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Edamame is really good, but not worth risking that again in my opinion! So sorry Mary!
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Erin Reply:
April 20th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
I used to have stomach problems and my doc said that soy is hard to digest and so my stomach would prefer cow milk over soy milk, etc. That being said, I now eat edamame at least once a week and thankfully haven’t had a problem.
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April 20th, 2009 on 10:46 am
You can make a tasty salmon salad sandwich!
Just prepare the salmon the same way you would a tuna salad sandwich – YUM!
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April 27th, 2009 on 8:43 am
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April 28th, 2009 on 3:35 pm
Oooh, quinoa and edamame are definite staples in our household.
One great use for canned salmon is salmon burgers… I mix it up with a little silken tofu (healthier than mayo) and serve with sweet potato fries. Recipe is here if you want to try it out.
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