Diet has been thrown so often in fitness and weight loss that most people get lost in its meaning. But in reality, it’s all about holistic eating. It’s simply balancing your macros and sourcing vital nutrients from a mix of grains, fruits, and vegetables.
So what kinds of food can you put into your holistic dietary plan? Here are some of the food that you can try out next time you want to eat healthily.
Holistic Eating Essentials: Asparagus
As with most green veggies, you can’t really go wrong with asparagus.
Beyond the obvious benefits of being a natural diuretic, asparagus also has Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, folate, and calcium.
There’s also potassium in asparagus. It’s also low in calories and packs plenty of antioxidants, making it healthy all the way around. Try nibbling on some asparagus spears as a snack!
Beets
Are beets high in iron? Not only iron, but they’re also packed with other nutrients. Beets are a particularly healthy food that very few people actually take advantage of.
Beets have an impressive amount of fiber along with Vitamin C and manganese.
Looking at its broader benefits, eating them may also help lower blood pressure, prevent cancer and fight inflammation. No matter how you prepare these, you can go wrong if you’re eating beets.
Mushrooms
Do you cook with mushrooms very often? If so, keep doing that! As it turns out, mushrooms are a great health food.
Though the specific nutrients of each one vary, each comes packed with Vitamin D, riboflavin, B Vitamins, and plenty of other helpful nutrients.
It doesn’t hurt that they add a ton of flavor to any dish they’re in as well.
Quinoa
Many of us who are used to eating rice or other whole grains have probably worked quinoa into our recipes as well.
For those who haven’t, it is absolutely packed with vitamins and minerals including magnesium, iron, potassium, B Vitamins, calcium, phosphorous, and Vitamin E.
Just like rice or other grains, it’s also extremely versatile and can be seasoned to taste any number of different ways. It also comes in different varieties like white quinoa, red, and black.
Kidney Beans
In general, beans are a reliable source of protein and fibrous carbs that can sustain you throughout the day. Still, kidney beans have some particular health benefits. Some of their nutrients include phosphorous, iron, potassium, and protein.
As an added bonus, they’re low in fat and can give you some energy without making you feel too weighed down.
Almonds
In case you didn’t know, almonds are one of the healthier ones on the list of nuts. It includes Vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
There’s even calcium in almonds! If you want to include these in an easy way, spread some almond butter on your toast.
Broccoli
Once again, you really can’t get enough of the crunchy, green vegetables and broccoli is no exception. Maybe the most surprising thing about broccoli is that a standard serving has about 80% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C!
Beyond that, though, it also delivers Vitamin K, folate, potassium, fiber, phosphorous, and plenty of other health-promoting minerals.
Sardines
Of course, we know that not everybody likes sardines.
Still, these salty little fish have plenty of positive impacts on your health if you can work them into your diet.
Like many other kinds of seafood, these things come packed with healthy omega-3 fatty acids as well as calcium, B-12, niacin, iron, magnesium, and zinc. They’re also a great source of protein!
Oatmeal
Though it might not be the most exciting breakfast food out there, there’s no denying that oatmeal is good for you. In addition to having pretty impressive levels of manganese and phosphorous, oatmeal also has plenty of antioxidants and fiber.
Finally, they’re also known to have positive effects on your cholesterol levels and can help you have clear, healthy skin.
Artichokes
Artichoke flower is another one that we should work into our diet more often.
As it turns out, these flowery-shaped vegetables have almost twice as much fiber as kale does. Beyond that, artichokes have way more protein than the average vegetable, plenty of antioxidants, and prebiotics for gut health.
Though you can eat them any way you like, we always recommend a spinach and artichoke dip.
Takeaway
Keeping healthy is a deliberate action. And this action starts with eating food that’s good for your body. Try to include these holistic eating ideas in your diet, and see how your body changes for the better with more energy, higher resilience to sickness, and faster recovery!
Sources: Healthline, Medical News Today, Delish, Eat This