Is Your Diet Super? Client Handout
By Nanci Guest
| What if adding a handful of certain foods to your eating plan could give your diet a nutritional turbo boost? | |
| Try these “superfoods” that have superior nutritional quality and nutrient density. |  |
Add: Beans and lentils
Why: An excellent source of low-fat, high fibre, phytochemical (antioxidant)-rich plant proteins.
How:
* In hearty bean or lentil soup
* Toss into salads for a protein boost
* As dips or spreads
Add: Blueberries/other berries
Why: Nutritional powerhouses loaded with antioxidant compounds that neutralize harmful free radicals that accelerate aging.
How:
* In berry-filled muffins, pancakes, or smoothies
* Topped on cereal or yogurt
* Crushed and spread on bread with peanut butter
Add: Cruciferous vegetables
Why: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale are packed with powerful antioxidants, vitamins and fibre.
How:
* Steam broccoli or cauliflower and serve with homemade cheese sauce
* Boil kage with olive oil and lemon
Add: Cultured dairy products,
Why: Yogurt, kefir and buttermilk, contain probiotics (aka “friendly bacteria”) that support the intestinal tract and immune system.
How:
* Yogurt topped with berries and crunchy cereal
* Chug a fruit-flavored kefir
* Buttermilk is excellent in biscuits, pancakes, and baked goods.
Add: Green leafy vegetables
Why: Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce and Swiss chard all contain beta-carotene and other carotenoids that work synergistically to help protect your vision.
How:
* Salads – use 3-4 different greens for extra phytochemicals
* Pack into sandwiches/wraps instead of plain lettuce
Add: Nuts
Why: Delicious source of protein and fibre and packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated oils, vitamins and minerals
How:
* Toss into salads or breakfast cereal
* Make trail mix (dried fruit, nuts, seeds)
Add: Omega fish
Why: Fatty fish like wild salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines contain beneficial heart- and brain- healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
How:
* Make canned salmon salad sandwiches in place of tuna
* Sardines on crackers or tossed in a salad
Add: Bright orange fruits and veggies
Why: Vibrant orange produce such as apricots, mangoes, pumpkins, butternut squash, carrots and yams contain high levels of beta-carotene that give the body an antioxidant boost.
How:
* Roasted squash or pumpkin soup
* Baked yam fries
* Apricot and mango slices added to salads
Add: Seeds
Why: Flax, pumpkin and sunflower seeds pack a powerful nutrition packed punch of good fats, fibre and phytonutrients
How:
* Dress up any salad
* Add to yogurt and fruit mix
Add: Whole Grains
Why: Rich in complex carbohydrates, whole grains add beneficial phytonutrients, fibre, vitamins and minerals to your diet.
How:
* Use whole grain instead of white
* Add crumbled whole grain crackers to salads as healthy croutons
* Mix a bin with 3 to 4 different grain cereals for variety
Nanci S. Guest, M.Sc., C.S.C.S., owns Power Play: Nutrition, Fitness, Performance (relocated to Toronto from Vancouver). Since 1995 she has provided the public and athletes with nutritional counselling, personal training, sport conditioning and seminars. She holds a Master of Science degree in nutrition, teaches sports nutrition at the university level and is lead sports nutritionist for the 2010 Olympic Games.
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