Your Healthy Diet Isn’t Complete Without These Foods!

When it comes to eating healthily, we all know roughly what to do –limit the fast food, get our 5 a day, cut out snacks etc. But when it comes to writing your healthy eating shopping list, have you remembered to add these goodies?

Kale

This high-fibre leafy green vegetable is a top source of vitamin A, which works to strengthen your immune system and keep your eyes and skin in top health. As well as this, just 1 cup of kale contains almost the same amount of vitamin C as a whole orange! Need another reason to toss some kale into your salad? To top it all, kale is packed with antioxidants which help to fight off illnesses such as cancer. Definitely a healthy diet must!

Watercress

Watercress is full of iron and contains an abundance of antioxidants that combat lung and breast cancer. Just three daily ounces of watercress can enhance your levels of particular antioxidants by 100%! Also, the high iodine content in watercress means that it helps to strengthen the thyroid gland, making it a beneficial superfood for hypothyroidism sufferers.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate is another food full to the brim with antioxidants, which lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and heart disease. Studies have also shown that pomegranates can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as protect the kidneys against harmful toxins, preventing kidney problems. And of course, they taste beautiful!

Salmon

Aside from being absolutely delicious, salmon has a number of great health benefits. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, B and D, iron, calcium, selenium, and phosphorous, salmon is definitely brain food that helps to improve your memory. It also contains tryptophan, a natural sedative, which means it can help aid sleep to help you get a good night’s rest.

Lentils

Budget-friendly and versatile, lentils are a very healthy staple to include in your diet. There’s over 9 grams of protein in just 1 cup of lentils, not to mention 8 grams of fibre, which can help to lower cholesterol and reduce digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome and constipation. They are also a fantastic source of folate, which can decrease the risk of heart disease by reducing your homocysteine levels.

Spinach

This superfood not only tastes great, it is versatile and packed full of nutrients. One cup of spinach holds 20% of the recommended daily amount of fibre, which helps to maintain low blood sugar and aid digestion. As well as this, the high amounts of vitamin K within spinach means it’s great for keeping your bones healthy and strong.

Broccoli

This yummy green vegetable is bursting with soluble fibre, which is excellent for lowering your body’s cholesterol. It is also a fantastic source of calcium and vitamin K, which are both very important for preventing osteoporosis and maintaining good bone health. Broccoli is also beneficial to the heart, thanks to the anti-inflammatory properties of the isothiocyanates found within it. These can prevent blood cell damage.