The 7 Best Foods We Never Eat - Pantry staples - Revolution Health

The 7 Best Foods We Never Eat

Date updated: December 19, 2006
Content provided by Revolution Health Group

Stuck in a food rut? You don't have to go far to find some overlooked food choices that are easy to prepare, pack a nutritional wallop and avoid unhealthy fats.

We asked two veteran nutritionists to help us identify seven great foods most of us skip. Our consultants: American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Cindy Moore, R.D., of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation; and Institute of Food Technologists spokeswoman Christina Stark, R.D., of Cornell University.

Avocado

The avocado is high in fat, but most of the fat is the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind. We know the avocado tastes great, but outside of an occasional guacamole dip, few of us reach for this high-fiber food for salads or as a great side dish.

You'll also get protein, a good dose of vitamins A and E, some B vitamins, lots of potassium and a dollop of copper. The rich and creamy avocado has been called the "chocolate" of fruits.

Sweet potato

At Thanksgiving, we dash for sweet potatoes as if they're available just once a year. But you can bake or microwave these tubers anytime for a super dose of vitamin A — five times the daily value (DV) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends.

Sweet potatoes also offer some vitamin C and a significant helping of important minerals, including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and iron. And this tasty fat-free combo of nutrients brightens your plate.

Soybeans

The FDA recently added soy to the list of foods that can make health claims because of its value in reducing the risk of heart disease. Soy is high in protein — one cup of beans can fill 40 percent of the DV for protein — and the bean also serves up generous helpings of fiber, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus and magnesium. How you eat this versatile food is up to you — cooked and mixed in salads or casseroles, roasted for snacks, or in tofu, tempeh or soy milk. Soy has some fat, but very little saturated fat.

The use of soy products to treat symptoms of menopause is controversial. While it may improve symptoms for some women, the phytoestrogens (plant estrogens) that may help relieve hot flashes may also increase the risk of breast cancer.

Dried figs

Tasty as Fig Newton cookies are, figs stand on their own. They provide high-fiber, topped with some B vitamins and iron, finished off with abundant potassium and calcium. Five figs give you as much calcium as half a glass of milk.

What to do with a fig? Pop a few in your mouth, sneak them into casseroles or replace raisins with them in a salad.

Lentils

We never think of this legume unless it\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s in our soup. But put lentils in rice or casseroles and you\\\\\\\'ve added one of the highest-protein and highest-fiber foods around.

A cup of lentils supplies about 40 percent of the DV for protein and about 65 percent of the DV for fiber. The lentil is high in potassium, calcium and iron, and a good source of B vitamins, phosphorus and copper. The fat content? Zero.

Kale

Dark, leafy green vegetables are an acquired taste. Maybe now\\\\\\\'s the time to see if your taste buds have matured to accommodate this no-fat, low-calorie, super-high-vitamin-A food.

One cup of kale (boiled, but not overcooked) gives you double the DV for vitamin A. You\\\\\\\'ll also get some vitamin C, a small amount of B vitamins and a generous amount of calcium. Look for kale\\\\\\\'s healthy but ignored cousins: Swiss chard, mustard greens and collards.

Barley

Here\\\\\\\'s another soup secret we tend to forget despite its claim to protein, fiber, potassium, phosphorus and iron. One cup supplies 25 percent of the DV for fiber.

Eat pearled barley as a side dish instead of rice, use it for a hearty casserole, or boil it to create a unique base for a stir-fry meal. And look at the high nutritional content of some other forgotten but powerful grains, like quinoa and amaranth.

7种我们忽视的健康食品

7种我们忽视的健康食品

更新日期：2006，12月19日

内容由健康革命组织(Revolution Health Group)提供

     难以接受一种食品的习惯吗？你不需要走很远去寻找一些其实很容易准备却被忽视的食品的选择机会，也不需要包装一个有营养的冲击力和避免不健康的油脂。

     我们邀请了两位富有经验的营养学家帮助我们识别7种被我们大多数人忽视的健康食品。我们的顾问分别是：美国饮食协会的女发言人来自美国城市临床基金会的Cindy Moore, R.D.，和食品技术专家协会的女发言人来自科内尔大学（Cornell University）的Christina Stark, R.D.。

鳄梨

     虽然鳄梨含有丰富的脂肪，但是大部分的脂肪都是对心脏有益的单一不饱和脂肪酸。我们知道鳄梨味道很好，但我们不知道坊间有一种可以沾的鳄梨色拉酱，我们很少会接触到用这些高纤维食物做成的色拉或者一道美味的附加菜。

     你同样可以从鳄梨中得到蛋白质，丰富的维生素A和E，部分维生素B，还有大量的钾和铜。这种富含营养和奶油色的鳄梨被称为水果中的“巧克力”。

甘薯

     在感恩节，我们尝试少量的甘薯好像它们只允许一年吃一次似的。但是你随时可以焙烤或者用微波加热甘薯吃，因为它含有异常丰富的维生素A，它的含量是美国食品及药物管理局（FDA）推荐的50%每日供给量（DV）。

     甘薯同样提供了部分维生素C和对健康有重要帮助的矿物质，包括钙、磷、钾、镁和铁。还有这种美味的不含脂肪的有营养的食物会使你的餐盘充满欢乐。

大豆

      美国食品及药物管理局（FDA）最近把大豆加入了食品清单中，这是因为大豆可以满足健康的要求，特别是因为它能降低心脏病危害的价值。大豆富含蛋白质——一杯大豆可以满足40%的蛋白质每天供给量（DV）——同时大豆也慷慨地提供大量的纤维素、钙、钾、铁、磷和镁。你吃多少这样万能的食品全都取决于你自己——烹调然后混合作为色拉或者炒菜、烘烤作为小吃，又或者用于豆腐和豆豉，又或者豆奶。大豆虽然有一些脂肪，但是只是非常少量的饱和脂肪酸。

     大豆产品用于治疗更年期的征兆依然受到争议。然而它能改善很多女士的面色，植物雌激素（植物的雌性激素）可以帮助引起乳癌危险的潮热的降低。

干燥的无花果

     牛顿饼干好像无花果一样好吃，无花果继续独立地航行。无花果提供高纤维素，很高的维生素B和铁，还有大量的钾和钙。5颗无花果给予你如同半杯牛奶的钙。

     怎样处理一个无花果？剥开一些放进你的口中，偷偷地将它们放进炒菜锅中或者在色拉中将葡萄干用无花果替换掉。

小扁豆

     我们决不会考虑这些豆荚类除非我们陷入困境。但是你将小扁豆放入米中或者炒菜锅中，那么你已经加入了一种高蛋白和高纤维素的食物在周围了。

     一杯小扁豆提供大约40%的每天供给量（DV）的蛋白质和大约65%的每天供给量（DV）纤维素。小扁豆富含钾、钙和铁，还有优质来源的维生素B、磷和铜。而脂肪含量呢？为零。

羽衣甘蓝

     深绿色叶片蔬菜是一个很好的爱好。或许现在是时候看看是否你的味蕾足够成熟去适应这种没有脂肪，低热量，维生素A含量丰富的食物。

     一杯羽衣甘蓝（煮沸，不过不是煮得过久的）给与你50%的每天供给量的维生素A。你也会得到一些维生素C，一些数量的维生素B和丰富的钙。寻找羽衣甘蓝的健康但不要忽视它的兄弟姐妹：唐莴苣、芥菜和甘蓝叶。

大麦

     这是另外一个汤的秘密，我们注意不要忽略大麦含有蛋白质、纤维素、钾、磷和铁。一杯能提供25%的每天供给量的纤维素。

     吃珍珠麦作为一种附加菜代替米饭，利用它做丰盛的大餐，或者煮熟它为一顿饭去创造一个独特的基本菜。同时看看那些高营养餐单，但是它们忽视了一些强有力的谷类食品如奎奴亚藜（食用其食物的栗）和苋属植物。