The Most Nutritious And Tasty Diet Foods
By Roy Thomsitt
When considering what to include in a weight loss diet, there are
two factors that you should always consider early. The first is
whether or not your chosen diet will be sufficiently nutritious to
keep you healthy. The second is if the diet will be tasty enough to
maintain your interest, rather than for you to opt out through
boredom.
It is possible to address both of these concerns at the same time by
considering health food vitamins, and in so doing you may be in for
some pleasant surprises. Much will depend in your tastes in food,
but with experimentation, you should be able to construct a diet,
within the guidelines of your nutritionist and doctor, that is also
interesting enough to enable you to not only stick to the diet but
enjoy it also.
If you are able to end up with a diet that you can really enjoy,
then there is a chance that it will become a lifelong habit. It is
possible to make permanent changes; I know that from personal
experience. Initially, it can be difficult to make drastic changes,
but it can be done much easier if you are enjoying the food you are
eating. In many cases, drastic changes may not even be needed, but
that is something it is best to discuss with your doctor in relation
to your own health and weight problem.
I have selected five of my best diet foods, health foods rich in
vitamins and other nutrients, which will provide you with some of
the most important nutrients to sustain you during your diet:
Tomatoes
I find tomatoes one of the most versatile and useful foods for
cooking, and can be used to add interest to all sorts of meals, such
as curries, casseroles and soups. Tomatoes go well with lean meats,
or mixed with other vegetables, when used for cooking. They are also
delicious raw, if you can find good tomatoes rather than the
insipidly flavoured tomatoes you may find in the supermarket.
Tomatoes also happen to be one of the most valuable health foods,
rich in lycopene, plus vitamins A and C. Lycopene is a powerful
antioxidant, which is why much scientific attention has been paid to
tomatoes in recent years. Lycopene’s ability to neutralize free
radicals that cause cell damage has been the centre of attention,
due to the possible potential in cancer prevention.
Tomatoes also have one other special asset. That is, that the
nutrients are not destroyed during cooking, and even processed
tomato products such as tomato sauce or ketchup, and canned
tomatoes, retain the nutritional benefits. Tomatoes are therefore my
health food super hero.
Garlic
When it comes to making boring foods tasty, garlic is way up there
amongst the best. Along with tomatoes, garlic is an important part
of the Mediterranean Diet. Like tomatoes, it can be used with just
about any other cooked food, so whatever your diet regime is, you
should find you can utilize garlic widely to satisfy your palate.
Garlic has some important nutrients too, such as calcium, vitamin C
and vitamin B6, phosphorus and selenium, plus antibiotic properties.
Basil
Basil is a humble and popular herb that can be used liberally to
bring its distinctive flavour to other foods. What you may not
realize is that basil also packs a punch when it comes to calcium,
phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin C. Also, basil is a good source of
iron, potassium and magnesium, and carotenoids such as beta
carotene.
How about tomato and basil soup, with a touch of garlic? A super
combo of health foods that will fit into most diets.
Strawberries
The mention of strawberries seems like a self indulgence; their
flavour to some can seem too good to be true (me included). Well,
indulge, because the strawberry is a great health food too, with
some nutrients you may not have anticipated. Strawberries contain
Vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese, folic acid, potassium,
riboflavin, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, copper, magnesium and omega-3
fatty acids.
Strawberries are best fresh and eaten on their own. (Please read
carefully. I did not say strawberries should be eaten laced in sugar
with a dollop of clotted cream.)
Spinach
Many may turn their noses up at the mention of spinach; I know I did
as a child. However, once you discover its true flavour, spinach
does make an excellent food as a side vegetable, in a soup or in a
curry. All the old stories about the goodness of spinach were true,
as it contains Vitamin C, iron, beta carotene and calcium., plus
vitamins E and K, fibre, lutein and zeaxanthin (carotenoids).
Those are just a few ideas for healthy foods, rich in nutrients,
that can add flavour and interest to your diet, as you set out to
make a permanent lifestyle change to lose weight.
About the Author: This
best diet food article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and
part author of the Routes To Self Improvement website.
Source: www.isnare.com |
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