51 foods

S P E C I A L S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
Health&Nutrition Letter
T H E F R I E D M A N S C H O O L O F N U T R I T I O N S C I E N C E A N D P O L I C Y
Y O U R G U I D E T O L I V I N G H E A LT H I E R L O N G E R 51 Healthy Foods You Can Say “YES” To Tired of being told what not to eat? Here’s a sampling of the many choicesyou can feel good about including as part of a balanced diet. HARDLY A DAY GOES BY, it seems, without the upping your calorie intake. Similarly, vegetable oils can be a news media reporting some food that’s been found to healthy choice instead of animal-derived fats such as butter be bad for you. One day it’s processed meats; the or lard. That doesn’t mean drinking a cupful of canola oil next, it’s baked goods made with trans-fatty acids.
Faced with this litany of “don’ts,” you can start to The 51 healthy foods to say “yes” to listed on these pages wonder whether any food is OK to eat.
represent merely a sampling of the variety of foods you can In fact, scientists know of a whole cornucopia of healthy choose in a nutritious diet. (We could pretty much list all foods you can choose from. Not only are there plenty of fruits and vegetables, for instance, but that would make this food choices that are OK—many foods can actually give list either long or boring or both.) This sampling is designed your body a boost. Your daily diet can supply everything to give you ideas for meals and even snacks that point your from essential nutrients to compounds that have been posi- eating plan in the right direction. Any one food on the list tively associated with preventing diseases and minimizing the isn’t necessarily “better” for you than other choices, cautions toll of aging. These are foods you can enthusiastically say Jeanne P. Goldberg, PhD, RD, professor of nutrition and “yes!” to as part of a well-rounded diet. Many of them have director of the Center on Nutrition Communication at the been covered in depth in previous issues of this newsletter.
Friedman School. Take salmon, for example. “While salmon But we’re not talking about so-called “superfoods.” does have omega 3s, other fish are quite low in fat,” Foods aren’t magic pills; eating spinach won’t cure what ails Goldberg notes. So salmon isn’t “better” than, say, floun- you any more than it will make you as strong as Popeye.
der—the key is to include more fish of all kinds in your diet And even healthful foods like those mentioned in this than most Americans now do. (And remember to bake or Special Supplement are good for you only in the overall con- broil your fish, not fry it—preparation matters, too!) text of a balanced diet. Gorging on any one type of food, no If this list simply gives you some new foods to try, that’s a matter how “healthy,” won’t give you the nutrients you big step in the right direction. Studies have shown the impor- need—regardless of what some fad diets would have you tance of eating a variety of healthy foods. But most Ameri- believe. Nor will simply adding healthful foods “fix” your cans aren’t doing a very good job at diversifying their diets: diet: “Sprinkling nuts on top of a hot-fudge sundae, although Potatoes and head lettuce account for nearly half our vegeta- nuts are ‘good for you,’ does not negate the saturated fat and bles, and only six fruit choices (orange juice, bananas, apples, calories in the sundae,” cautions Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, watermelon, apple juice, grapes) total half of our fruit con- Stanley N. Gershoff Professor of Nutrition in Tufts’ sumption. Check out our list for some fresh ideas.
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
It’s even OK—occasionally—to indulge, in moderation, in Keep in mind, too, that even good food choices have calo- some of those foods you’ve been told to say “no” to. Don’t ries. Robin B. Kanarek, PhD, a professor of nutrition and feel guilty, says Kanarek, about having a small piece of behavior at the Friedman School, cites the example of a friend who wanted to lose weight, and couldn’t understand why it But we think you’ll find some of these healthful choices— wasn’t happening—she was eating only fruit. “The answer to and the related options that they suggest—appealing enough why she wasn’t losing weight was quite simple: Fruit has calo- ries, and seven cantaloupes, six apples, six oranges, etc., hadas many calories as what she regularly consumed before.” Some of the foods for which researchers have found posi- 1Acorn Squash—A source of lycopene, folate and vita-
mins A and C, winter squash of all sorts also gives you tive health effects are particularly packed with calories; you dietary fiber. Plus acorn squash, for example, is rich in potas- should say “yes” to these only when saying “no” to other sium—almost 900 milligrams per cup.
foods. Substitute nuts, for example, for candy bars when youneed a snack—but if you just add nuts to your diet, you’re 2Almonds—A good source of potassium, almonds, like
other nuts, are low in saturated fat and high in unsatu- rated fats. But they’re also high in calo- ries, so substitute almonds for a snack that’s high in trans- or saturated fat; of the natural grain that are lost in pro- 8Beef eye of round—While studies
13Brussels sprouts—Another no-
3Apples—You know what they say good source of zinc and vitamin B6.
An apple a day may not be quite that 9Blueberries—Tufts researchers are
antioxidant benefits, including the possi- entists have found in animal testing that 14Canola oil—Here’s where sub-
blueberries may lower cholesterol levels.
gest may play a role in preventing osteo- fats can pay dividends for your heart.
4Apricots—A good source of vita- porosis and hardening of the arteries.
Canola oil is the very lowest in saturat- Berries of all sorts are good choices, too: 5Asparagus—With just 25 calories berries are out of season, try frozen
10Bran flakes—Research shows
ing from the FDA, but it’s not necessar- 6Bananas—A good source of mag- bran flakes can get you off to a good
start. You’ll get lots of fiber and mag- you pick a moderately fortified cereal.
easy, and don’t add fat to your diet just you’re getting almost 10 percent of the 15Cantaloupe—That orange color
the risk of kidney stones and bone loss.
11Broccoli—You probably don’t
7Barley—Looking for ways to get coli, the classic “good for you” veg-
the biggest changes in the government’s guidelines? (Six to 13 servings of grains 16Carrots—You knew carrots
green veggies, according to the experts.
know how good? Carrots are a prime barley, not the “pearl” variety with the 12Brown rice—Part of the push to
“rainbow” of different fruits and veg- rice instead of the white stuff you prob- 17Cauliflower—Don’t let the pasty choices and nutritionally similar.
28Peaches—Peaches and similar
ing it’s from the mustard family), just calories, but pintos are tops in folate.
tectors. In any case, cauliflower packs a 23Mackerel—Less familiar than
your daily vitamin C in just half a cup.
29Peanut butter—Most of the fat
18Chicken breasts—Boneless,
heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. It’s niacin. There’s no nutritional difference fat). Broil, bake or grill—don’t fry—to 24Milk (non- or low-fat)—That
30Popcorn—Air-popped popcorn
19Collard greens—Another
ucts daily. In addition to delivering calci- 31Pork loin—This is the leanest
20Cranberry juice—Studies sug-
bone strength to prevent osteoporosis.
25Oatmeal—Besides the benefits
the heat 5-10 degrees before it’s done, “resting.” Even if still pink in the cen- ter, pork is safe to eat at 160 degrees.
32Prunes—Prunes aren’t just
21Kale—Here’s another vitamin- contain lots of extra sugar.)
vide a quarter of your daily fiber, sure, 26Okra—A food better known in
33Quinoa—Another whole-grain
22Kidney Beans—Rich in fiber,
style, adds so many calories that it off- 34Romaine lettuce—This salad
27Oranges—Of course, you
41Tea—What to drink with all
47Watermelon—A good source of
35Salmon—The classic example
48White fish—While fatty fish
antioxidants—but laden with sugar.
42Tofu—The range of benefits
you’ll also get calcium in the bargain.
36Sardines—Another fatty fish
stitute for meat in your meal planning.
It’s a good source of protein and calci- D and (eaten with the bones) calcium.
37Shredded-wheat cereal—In
43Tomatoes—Men have been
49Whole-grain bread—The new
to a similar effect for pancreatic cancer 38Spinach—Popeye was onto
first ingredient listed is “whole wheat” 44Tuna—Besides being a good
fooled by terms such as “multi-grain,” “100 percent wheat,” “cracked wheat” 50Whole-grain pasta—If you’ve
whole-wheat pasta in the past, it’s time blindness in people age 65 and older.
45Turkey breast—Like its poultry to give it another try. In the first quar-
39Strawberries—Like most
51Yogurt (non- or low-fat)—
40Sweet potatoes—Try sweet
46Walnuts—Remember what we
milk.) Instead of sugared varieties, con-

Source: http://hr.calaverasgov.us/Portals/hr/Docs/Wellness/Nutrition/51HealthyFoods.pdf