8 Super Foods

Every Thursday night, the interns participate in the Healthy Charleston Challenge. This is a 4 month, team weight loss program. Participants are given personal trainers and nutrition education. As dietetic interns, we provide nutritional advice to assigned teams as they adapt to a healthy lifestyle.

Judith, the HCC Registered Dietitian, provides a powerpoint and nutrition class every Thursday night. I LOVED this week's powerpoint so I thought I would share ...

8 SUPER FOODS to consume daily

Spinach -

Loaded with calcium, vitamin k, and iron.

If you are bored of spinach salads, try kale or collards

This lettuce contains more nutrition than other "lighter" colored types like iceberg lettuce.

The brighter the color, the better.

Yogurt -

Yogurt contains all the active cultures and probiotics we need.

CAUTION: This does not include the high calorie, sweet flavored Dannon/Yoplait yogurts. They are packed with added sugar.

BEST: Greek yogurt or kefir yogurt

*I love when my best friends sent me picture messages of their healthy meals. Thank you Embo! Greek Yogurt with berries and granola

Tomatoes -

An Alessi favorite! Tomatoes are packed with lycopene.

As in all fruits and vegetables, the more colorful, the better! Go for the bright cherry tomatoes. They are low in calorie and high in nutrition

Carrots -

Yes, carrots are a great snack.

Have you ever wondered how baby carrots are made? Personally, I never thought about it. I was educated last night... and plan to switch to buying full carrots.

Baby carrots are made from deformed regular carrots. Ever notice how they last forever? They are soaked in water and chlorine. This why baby carrots get white on the outside when they age... the chlorine is moving to the surface.

So buy your carrots whole, dice, and portion in baggies for snacking.

Blueberries -

Antioxidants!

The best sign of a nutritious fruit/vegetable is its color. These berries are packed with color. Raspberries and acai berries are also great alternatives.

Black beans -

High fiber foods which when combined with a heart healthy diet, helps lower cholesterol.

Provides antioxidants.

Jo loves beans! She throws them into stir frys, soups, and rice.

Walnuts

Provides omega 3 fatty acids, healthy fats shown to lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)

A lot of research is being conducted on the health effects of walnuts. A trial was conducted on men to see the effect of replacing calories from chips with calories from nuts. On average, their cholesterol dropped 30 points.

FUN FACT: Did you know HDL (the good cholesterol) cannot be increased from the diet, only increased from exercise....

Oats -

Oh oats, the holy food! I'm fairly certain all dietitians swear by oats. They are a soluble fiber which will help with lowering LDL.

Wonderful way to start your day.