6 Foods You’re Not Eating But Should!
6 Foods You’re Not Eating But Should! From post workout to daily routine, here’s how to get more nutrition into your diet...
1. Hemp Seeds - Despite the Cannabis classification, these seeds aren't for smoking, but they do provide nutrition benefits. Rich in omega 3 fatty acids (the fat burning fat) and packed with 11 grams of complete protein in only an ounce, these little seeds will stand up to meat any day!
How to eat them: With their nutty, versatile flavor, you can toss 2 tablespoons of help seeds into a salad, stir-fry, oatmeal, post workout shake, or atop any sandwich.
2. Lentils - Move over Ramen! With 16 grams of fiber per cup, these belly-filling, protein offering legumes make an excellent substitute for filling, inexpensive carbohydrates such as rices and pastas. Go crazy and give the colored lentils a try, red, yellow, and brown, all offering bonus nutrition: disease fighting antioxidants.
How to eat them: Pour 4 cups of chicken stock into a large pot. Add 1 cup of red or brown lentils and a half cup of chopped onions and 1 Tablespoon minced garlic. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the lentils until they're tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the lentils from the heat, add a splash of olive oil and sea salt and serve.
3. Bok Choy – Cruciferous vegetables such as bok choy, broccoli, kale, and other greens have the ability to help cleanse and detoxify the liver, allowing the body and liver to better perform the act of burning excess fat for fuel by the body. Did someone say summertime?
How to prepare it: Separate, wash, and dry the leaves of one head of baby bok choy. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on medium high. Sauté the leaves with a thinly sliced garlic clove for about 5 minutes or until tender. Add to brown rice, sautéed red peppers and ground beef with a touch of soy sauce for a whole meal.
4. Buckwheat – Not a cereal grain but a fruit seed! Buckwheat is also an inexpensive form of a heart healthy whole grain which has been found to help lower cholesterol, lower high blood pressure, and balance blood sugar for optimal usage of macronutrients in the diet. So when oatmeal isn’t cutting it anymore, give buckwheat a try!
How to prepare it: Start your day with buckwheat oatmeal or pancakes. Typically premade mixes can be found in stores. Add a bit of protein powder and a handful of fresh berries for one powerful breakfast.
5. Beets - Don’t underestimate the power of these rustic looking roots. Their beautiful color and sweet flavor are packed with antioxidant, disease fighting, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying power! Don’t stop there, you can eat the greens too, sautéed in olive oil and garlic, you can have a complete meal.
How to Eat Them: Wash and peel the beet. Then steam them, roast them, or grate them and eat them raw! Add the steamed or roasted to salads or sides of protein. Or, for a liver-loving tonic, mix the raw grated beet into 2 T of flaxseed oil and the juice of one lemon.
6. Cinnamon – Not in coffee or on rolls, real cinnamon. Research has found that 1 gram of cinnamon a day for 6 weeks significantly reduces blood sugar and aids in lowering triglycerides. Maybe they should start mixing cinnamon with beer…
How to Eat It: Nothing fancy, nothing special. Just sprinkle it on your oatmeal (or buckwheat), coffee, roasted vegetables, or protein shakes.
By: Maya E Nahra, RD, LD
