The 8 best foods : Nutrition - MensHealth

The 8 best foods : Nutrition - MensHealth

Want to do your body a world of good? It’s as easy as expanding your grocery list.

There are many superfoods that never see the inside of your shopping cart. Some that you’ve never heard of, and others that you’ve simply forgotten about. That’s why we have rounded up the best of the bunch. Make a place for these superfoods on your table and you’ll be able to instantly upgrade your health—without a prescription.

Beets
These grungy-looking roots are naturally sweeter than any other vegetable, which means they pack tons of flavour underneath their rugged exterior.
Why they’re healthy : Think of beets as red spinach. Just like Popeye’s powerfood, this crimson vegetable is one of the best sources of both folate and betaine. These two nutrients work together to lower your blood levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Plus, the natural pigments— called betacyanins—that give beets their colour have been proved to be potent cancer fighters in laboratory mice.

How to eat them : Fresh and raw. Heating beets decreases their antioxidant power. For a simple single-serving salad, wash and peel one beet and grate it. Toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.

The leaves and stems are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. For a salad, cut off the stems just where the leaves start and wash thoroughly. Or, for a side dish, sauté the leaves, along with a minced clove of garlic and 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Cook until the leaves wilt and stems are tender. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Cabbage
This cruciferous vegetable is a major player in European and Asian diets.
Why it’s healthy : One cup of chopped cabbage has just 22 calories, and it’s loaded with valuable nutrients. At the top of the list is sulforaphane, a chemical that increases your body’s production of enzymes that disarm cell-damaging free radicals and reduce your risk of cancer. Stanford University scientists determined that sulforaphane boosts your levels of cancer-fighting enzymes higher than any other plant chemical.

How to eat it : Put cabbage on your burgers to add a satisfying crunch. Or, for a better sandwich topping or salad, try this
slaw. Here’s what you’ll need.

• 4 tbsp peanut or canola oil
• Juice of two limes
• 1 tbsp sriracha, an Asian chili sauce
• 1 head cabbage, chopped
• ¼ cup toasted peanuts
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Whisk together oil, sriracha and lime juice. Combine rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and toss with the dressing. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before serving. The slaw will keep in your fridge for two days.

Guava
Guava, that humble fruit, is subtly acidic, with sweetness that intensifies as you eat your way to the centre.
Why it’s healthy : Guava has a higher concentration of lycopene—an antioxidant that fights prostate cancer—than any other plant food, including tomatoes and watermelon. One cup provides 688mg of potassium, which is 63 per cent more than in a medium banana. And guava may be the ultimate high-fibre food: there’s almost 9gm of fibre in every cup.

How to eat it : Down the entire fruit, from the rind to the seeds. It’s edible—and nutritious. The rind alone has more vitamin C than in the flesh of an orange.