Small Changes to Boost Your Nutrition

How often do we hear, “eat healthy”, “eat nutritious foods”?  Are there small changes you can make to boost your nutrition without giving up every fun food?  I like to focus on what you can add to your diet to make it healthier rather than focus on taking things away.  An article in Environmental Nutrition has some simple, easy ways to boost your nutrition by focusing on foods that are full of nutrition.  How can you Make Your Diet More Nutrient-Dense?  Some suggestions adapted from this article:
Organic Milk – is organic milk healthier?  It is more expensive but is it worth it?  A study in the British Journal of Nutrition noted that organic milk has more of the heart healthy fat, omega-3, a lot more, 56% more.  Milk is not a great source of iron or vitamin E but these were higher in organic milk.  Not to mention the healthier aspect of no hormones and no pesticides in the milk.  Why a higher nutritional value?  They believe it is because the cows are grazing in the pasture.  One of my students researched organic foods and recommended that if you can only afford one organic food, splurge on organic milk. Prices vary greatly, shop around for the best price.

Salads – these can be healthy if one focuses on healthier greens.  Choose dark greens like spinach.  When choosing a salad mix in the grocery store, choose the mix with the darker greens.  Then when home, give the salad mix a nutrition boost by adding cup up carrots, green pepper, mushrooms, olives, cucumber, celery, and tomatoes.  Even sprinkle on some ground up nuts, or some dried cranberries.   Then to ensure you can absorb these nutrients forgo the fat-free dressing.  Choose low-fat salad dressing or vinaigrette made with olive oil.  You need some fat to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids in the salad.

Frozen Fruit and Vegetables– I often get asked if frozen fruit and vegetables are as healthy as fresh.  And it is.  The article notes foods like strawberries and broccoli are harvested at their peak and then quickly frozen so they retain their nutrients.  Frozen fruits and vegetables can have an even higher nutrient content as shipping and storage can lead to some nutrient loss.  For example, vitamin C in frozen corn, green beans and blueberries is actually higher than in fresh versions.  Doesn’t mean you should switch to frozen over fresh but it does mean you can enjoy frozen fruits and vegetables and not worry about the nutrient content.

Cooked vegetables – most people think cooking destroys nutrients and it can.  But cooking can enhance absorption of antioxidants like lutein which is more available in spaghetti sauce than a fresh tomato.  An article in Food Chemistry found that steaming kale enhanced its antioxidant activity.  But don’t boil veggies as nutrients can leach out into the water.  Steaming or microwaving are best for nutrient retention.

Making a smoothie this week, add some frozen fruit.  Have a salad this week, loaded with dark greens, cut up veggies and some dressing with fat in it.  Enjoy some steamed or microwaved vegetables.  And try some organic milk.

Sources:  Make Your Diet More Nutrient-Dense,   Image source:  Organic Milk at Costco

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How does coffee and tea affect blood sugar?

Image
Who doesn’t love some morning coffee?   Or, on cold days, a nice hot cup of tea.   Does drinking coffee or tea affect one’s blood glucose levels?    Should healthy adults be concerned about coffee or tea and blood glucose levels?   The Mayo Clinic says that for healthy adults, caffeine will probably have no noticeable effects on their blood sugar or blood glucose levels.   Studies have found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine is safe for most of us.   A cup of coffee has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine and most adults drink about 2 cups of coffee a day.   FDA says healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day which equates to about 4-5 cups of coffee a day, or 10 cans of soda , or 2 “energy shot” drinks.   (See:   Caffeine – good or bad for your health? )     Can drinking coffee or tea reduce chances of getting type 2 diabetes? Some studies have found that coffee, tea, and other drinks with caffei...
Read more

Are there drinks that will help lower your blood pressure?

Image
According to the University of Southern California , almost half of Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure.   This means an astounding 122 million Americans.   Unfortunately, as you get older it is more likely to have blood pressure increase.   Many people don’t even know they have high blood pressure or hypertension.   The American Heart Association notes at first there are “no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong, but HBP can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.”    A relative was asking what they could do diet wise to help lower their blood pressure.   We had already discussed the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).   (See:   Best Diets for Healthy Eating in 2024 .) and physical activity.    Diet wise, they were cutting back on sodium and increasing potassium foods but were wondering if there were anything else like any drinks that could help lower blood pressure?  ...
Read more

How to eat for better sleep

Image
Having trouble sleeping?   Are there foods you can eat that would help you sleep?   My husband sent me an interesting article, 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep . According to CDC , “about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day.”   A lot of Americans have problems sleeping, about 50-70 million Americans.   You probably heard that drinking warm milk before bed helps one sleep?   Is this true?   What eating habits really do help you get to sleep and stay asleep? Sleep and hunger Did you know that getting a good night’s sleep affects hunger hormones in your body?   A good night’s sleep can lead to less snacking the next day as it keeps hunger at bay.   A professor of nutrition at Columbia University, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, says, “If you eat better, you sleep better and be more refreshed.   And that helps you make better decision for your diet.”      Some tips to ea...
Read more