What Should I Eat? The Healthiest Foods (and the Least Healthy)
What should I eat? It’s a question we all grapple with, and while it’s easy to say that it’s best to stick to a plant-based, whole food diet when possible, it can be harder for people to come up with an actual list. Honestly, with all the different types of food out there, the idea of putting together a list of the very best healthy foods is pretty intimidating. Certain foods have specific health benefits that you just can’t find in others. Some pack a ton of nutrition in a small package, while other healthy options allow you to snack away without many calories. It’s hard to play favorites, you know?
Same thing goes for picking out the foods that are worst for you. What makes them the worst? Sugar? Calories? Chemicals? It’s not a road we at Fit Bottomed Eats care to venture down. But hey, we don’t have to, because other experts have shared their lists with us!
Healthy, Seasonal Foods to Stock Up On
Yahoo! recently released their list of the nine most nutritious foods you can eat right now (fall is the time they’re in season). Each of the superfoods that made their list offers high levels of vitamins and minerals, plus other good stuff like high levels of antioxidants, protein, fiber and healthy fats. Here’s their list, along with a suggested recipe for each!
- Cauliflower (try this ginger roasted cauliflower side dish)
- Turmeric (try it in a smoothie)
- Apples (try them in this slaw recipe with carrots and jicama)
- Cranberries (try this soup)
- Walnuts (try this recipe for maple walnuts)
- Butternut squash (try this soup — and yes, we do love soup, don’t we?)
- Amaranth (try it this ancient grain as a breakfast cereal)
- Sweet potatoes (try this easy, protein-packed recipe)
- Pumpkin seeds (toss ’em in a big ass salad and try this tip)
Processed Foods to Avoid
And what about the foods to avoid? Healthline has a list of the top 10 processed foods to avoid (although they stipulate, and we agree, that you can totally enjoy some of your faves from the list … in moderation).
- Bacon
- Granola bars
- Instant ramen
- Dried fruits
- Flavored nuts
- Fruit snacks
- Margarine
- Microwave popcorn
- Ketchup
- Frozen dinners
What foods would you add to these lists? And are there any you disagree with? I seriously love sprinkling dried cranberries and cherries on my salads, so that was a tough one to stomach for me. —Kristen