Think, Eat, Be Healthy

4 More Ways To Add Variety To A Healthy Whole Food Diet

red onion, allium, garlic, tomato, sweet potato, artichoke, zuchini squash, yellow crookneck squash, turnip, eggplant, cucumber

Good nutrition is the natural result of a varied whole food diet

This is a follow-up to the previous post “4 Ways To Add Variety To A Healthy Whole Food Diet”.

Whole foods, especially when unpeeled and unseeded, just the way nature gives them to us, provide much better nutrition than more highly refined foods. All of the original nutrients are still there and they all work together and reinforce each other in our bodies to produce maximum health. The greater the variety of whole foods we eat each day, the greater this natural, health-producing synergy.

Look at every meal as a food adventure: try something new and outside your usual comfort zone. Don’t fall into the trap of eating only salty or sweet flavors – try to work in more sour/bitter and spicy foods. Eating the different flavor groups regularly trains the taste buds and adds different sets of nutrients to the diet. Many sour foods are fermented and also supply important bacteria to keep our digestion working properly.

Try adding these four healthy whole foods to your diet occasionally for an extra nutritional boost:

1. Kimchi(or sauerkraut, or other fermented vegetables)

kimchi, sauerkraut, fermented, fermented vegetables, fermented food, fermented cabbage, spicy fermented cabbage

Kimchi, red sauerkraut and green sauerkraut

Kimchi is a fermented food that provides sour, spicy and salty flavors. It provides a good dose of vitamins A, B and C with each serving. If unpasteurized, kimchi also provides plenty of “good” bacteria that promote a healthy gut and digestion. Kimchi has also been shown to prevent yeast infections.

2. Leeks

leek, allium, whole food, vegetable

Leeks are not as well known as onions or garlic but have all of the health benefits of the other members of the allium plant family

Leeks are members of the allium plant family and have all of the same health-promoting properties. They are one of the best sources of vitamin K. Leeks contain kaempferol to protect the blood vessel linings. The polyphenols in leeks protect against oxidative damage throughout the body. Folate and manganese are also abundant in each serving of leeks.

3. Barley(and other whole grains)

barley, hulled barley, whole grain barley, whole grain, whole food

Barley is a nutritious whole grain that is used much less than wheat, oats, rice or corn.

As a grain and therefore a seed, barley is packed with nutrients. Barley is high in the minerals magnesium, molybdenum, selenium, manganese, copper and phosphorous. There is a good dose of dietary fiber in every serving of barley to feed our “good” gut microbes and promote healthy digestion. Regularly eating barley has been shown to lower the risk of developing diabetes.

Please don’t get “pearled” barley: it has been stripped of its entire outer seed coating which contains most of its health-promoting nutrients. Look for un-hulled barley for the most fiber and nutrients but a slightly longer cooking time.

4. Rapini, or broccoli rabe

broccoli rabe, rapini, broccolini

Rapini, also called broccoli rabe or broccolini, is closely related to broccoli and has a similar nutrient profile.

Rapini is currently becoming more popular in restaurants and easier to find in food stores. This close relative of broccoli is high in the minerals potassium, iron and calcium. It has a high fiber content for digestive health. Rapini is a good source of vitamins A, C and K. There is also a lot of lutein in rapini for eye health.