Easy Ways to Bump Up Nutrition from Your Meals – Part One

Did you know you can combine certain foods in order to increase the nutritional value of each? The naturally occurring chemical components in certain foods are intensified and made more bioavailable when they are properly combined. Here are some simple ways to get more bang from your nutritional buck:

1. According to research done by the University of Illinois, combining tomatoes and broccoli powerfully boosts the cancer fighting compounds in each. Cooking tomatoes as well as combining them with a healthy fat makes their carotenoids and other important nutrients easier for your body to use. So try a pasta sauce cooked with olive oil and lightly steamed or sauteed broccoli.

2. Salads are one of the very best things you can include in your daily diet. They are loaded with antioxidants, fiber and phytochemicals. However, if you are using fat free dressings, you are preventing yourself from getting all the benefit you could. Simply using an oil and vinegar dressing, or combining your salad with any healthy fat source, you exponentially increase the nutritional content. Use olive, walnut, flax, pumpkin seed, macadamia or avocado oil with your vinegar dressing or sprinkle a handful of nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, whichever you like), seeds (sunflower, pumpkin) or avocado slices in and you are good to go.

3. If you want to get the most from iron rich foods like spinach, beets, lentils, eggs, chicken or turkey breast, lean sirloin steak and sardines, be sure to pair them with a vitamin C rich food. The vitamin C increases your body’s ability to absorb the iron. These foods tend to go together well, so it’s pretty easy to do. Consider a squeeze of lemon or lime on your spinach, beets or in your lentil soup; have a baked potato or red and green bell peppers with your steak or poultry; pair scrambled eggs or sardines with salsa. Let your creativity take over and be adventurous.

4. Vegetables are a treasure trove of phytochemicals, which are much more effectively released for use in your body when you include a source of healthy fat. Cook your vegetables gently and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil or flax oil.

Take a Step:

Try incorporating one of these suggestions this week. Each week try adding just one - add nuts or seeds to your fresh salad; top your chicken breast or scrambled eggs with a tablespoon or two of salsa.

Next time I'll share 4 more suggestions for bumping up the nutritional value of your meals!

Until next time, I wish you vibrant health! Ann