Spring Break
Adding nutrients, color is "super"
By: Brittany James
Issue date: 10/11/07 Section: Recess
Last update: 10/11/07 at 7:42 AM EST
Last update: 10/11/07 at 7:42 AM EST
While each super food is a powerhouse in and of itself, a few of them pack a superior nutritional punch. Nutritionists agree that adding three foods alone-blueberries, spinach and salmon-can significantly enhance well-being and health status.
"There are some that are better as they have a higher nutrient density than others," Alphin added.
Nuts, particularly walnuts and almonds, are also key providers of this fatty acid and should be included in the diet in moderation (one small handful per day). The growing array of benefits for nut consumption is quite astounding, with a greatly reduced chance of coronary artery disease topping out the list. Plus, nuts are so filling that they help prevent overeating and lengthen satiety.
Additional super foods such as broccoli, tomatoes, beans and yogurt each have their own "super power" and should also be included in any diet for maximum health.
"Balance and variety are a big part of eating a healthy diet… vary your diet, choose all different colors of fruits and vegetables and balance your meals and snacks with protein, fat and carbohydrates," Lutz advised.
A stroll down the neighborhood supermarket aisle easily reveals this trend towards adding nutritional value to our food selection-as evidenced with labels claiming added multi-grain, high fiber or vitamin fortification.
Many large food corporations are using this new focus on health to jazz up their product lines. For instance, in the fall of 2004, General Mills began making all their cereals out of whole grain instead of the nutrient-deficient enriched flour, with this change becoming prominent in recent commercials.
Kraft Foods' Crystal Light beverage line offers another example of this movement. Their new "enhanced" line of flavor combinations subsists on key ingredient add-ins, such as the incorporation of pomegranates in the new immunity-boosting cherry pomegranate flavor. Pomegranates entered the spotlight not long ago with discoveries of their extremely high levels of antioxidants and their ability to greatly lower blood pressure and cholesterol. And food corporations are seizing the opportunity to play on this newfound celebrity.
However, there are many pitfalls in place for unwary customers. It is not uncommon to see the words "whole grain" printed in large, bold font and "with" printed negligibly right above it. In other words, these foods that appear to be made of whole grain often still have enriched flour as their main ingredient, with small amounts of whole grains added further down the list. Therefore it is necessary to be mindful of these traps and careful in food selection.
It is never too early or late to start adding these extremely beneficial foods to the diet. There is no doubt they are critical to well-being-increased energy levels and reduced sickness only touch on the resulting benefits.
"There are some that are better as they have a higher nutrient density than others," Alphin added.
Nuts, particularly walnuts and almonds, are also key providers of this fatty acid and should be included in the diet in moderation (one small handful per day). The growing array of benefits for nut consumption is quite astounding, with a greatly reduced chance of coronary artery disease topping out the list. Plus, nuts are so filling that they help prevent overeating and lengthen satiety.
Additional super foods such as broccoli, tomatoes, beans and yogurt each have their own "super power" and should also be included in any diet for maximum health.
"Balance and variety are a big part of eating a healthy diet… vary your diet, choose all different colors of fruits and vegetables and balance your meals and snacks with protein, fat and carbohydrates," Lutz advised.
A stroll down the neighborhood supermarket aisle easily reveals this trend towards adding nutritional value to our food selection-as evidenced with labels claiming added multi-grain, high fiber or vitamin fortification.
Many large food corporations are using this new focus on health to jazz up their product lines. For instance, in the fall of 2004, General Mills began making all their cereals out of whole grain instead of the nutrient-deficient enriched flour, with this change becoming prominent in recent commercials.
Kraft Foods' Crystal Light beverage line offers another example of this movement. Their new "enhanced" line of flavor combinations subsists on key ingredient add-ins, such as the incorporation of pomegranates in the new immunity-boosting cherry pomegranate flavor. Pomegranates entered the spotlight not long ago with discoveries of their extremely high levels of antioxidants and their ability to greatly lower blood pressure and cholesterol. And food corporations are seizing the opportunity to play on this newfound celebrity.
However, there are many pitfalls in place for unwary customers. It is not uncommon to see the words "whole grain" printed in large, bold font and "with" printed negligibly right above it. In other words, these foods that appear to be made of whole grain often still have enriched flour as their main ingredient, with small amounts of whole grains added further down the list. Therefore it is necessary to be mindful of these traps and careful in food selection.
It is never too early or late to start adding these extremely beneficial foods to the diet. There is no doubt they are critical to well-being-increased energy levels and reduced sickness only touch on the resulting benefits.
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