Six Foods to Keep You Healthy, Smart and Sassy!
By Cynthia Mosher
Being a vegan provides so many health benefits that we sometimes take it for granted. A healthy vegan diet helps you burn fat, lose weight, helps smooth your skin and strengthen your hair. It also protects your arteries and veins and provides nutritional health fuel to keep your heart strong. Even your brain and immune system work better! Yet we sometimes forget the basics that fuel our dietary goodness and delve into the less than healthy foods that can make us fat and unhealthy. Here are six good for you foods that you should try to include in your diet to stay healthy and energetic.
- Healthy oils – Extra virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest oils you can choose and the one most of us reach for when preparing foods. But there are others that you should incorporate into your diet so that you spread the goodness of all these healthy, good-for-you oils into your meals. Coconut oil is another great one to add to your pantry as well as walnut, sesame, and wheatgerm oil.
- Avocados – This creamy jem of a food provides high levels of healthy fat and is so very versatile. It can be used to create a variety of dishes, including desserts! If you blend it with a bit of almond milk and lemon juice plus your faveorite spices you can make a delicious salad dressing. And do we need to remind you how good guacamole is?
- Nuts – Another source of healthy fat, nuts provide wonderfully healthy protein as well so be sure to incorporate nuts into your meals daily. If you’re wathing your weight then you’ll want to eat about an ounce or so a day and look for lower fat foods for the rest of your protein requirements. But nuts add a great crunch to snacks and meals that just can’t be beat!
- Hummus – This creamy dip hails from the Middle East and has a rightful claim to being a healthy food item. The main ingredients are super foods all on their own – chickpeas, sesame paste, garlic, and olive oil. I recently tried one while flying on Turkish Airlines that was out of this world (VegFamily version recipe here) and will be making it a staple in our weekly menu.
- Leafy greens – Spinach, turnip greens, chard, kale, romaine lettuce and more. greens top the list for all the nutritional values they offer compared to many other foods. They sprinkle in a handful of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and taste! You can cook them, eat them raw in a salad or as an appetizer, throw them into a smoothie, slip them into a sandwich or juice them. versatality at its finest!
- Colorful raw veggies and fruits – The more color you have in your diet the more of a balanced array of vitamins and minerals you will get. It’s that simple. And eating raw provides you with even more. Fruit is a great snack as well as a great dessert so give it its due when you are planning and packing a lunch or a meal. Also, raw veggies are a great side dish, especially if pair them with a bowl of delicious hummus. Even kids love hummus and veggies!
Take a good look at what you eat every day. Are you really eating a healthy vegan diet? Do you need to cut out some not-so-good-for-you foods and replace them with some of thease beauties? Place these six foods into your shopping list so you always have them on hand as you prepare your meals. They can make a huge difference in your health and life!
