Just because you eat meat, it doesnt mean you cant load up on vegetables, too. In fact, produce enhances your protein. If you usually stick with bell peppers and onions, here are seven underrated, nutrient-packed vegetables to add as a side. 1. Beet Greens They’re one of the world’s richest potassium sources. Thats important because too much sodium increases blood pressure—but eating more potassium-rich foods can counteract the effect, Roussell says. 2. Fennel Besides containing ample amounts of vitamin C, fiber, and folate, fennel is also packed with a powerful phytonutrient called anethole. It can reduce inflammation, prevent cancer, and even possibly protect your liver from harmful chemicals which might otherwise cause injury, says Rachael Dunn, a registered dietitian at Loyola Medical Center. 3. Collard Greens At only 63 calories per cup, collard greens are rich in vitamins K, A, and E—and high in antioxidants to help reduce oxidative stress, says Dunn. They also drop your cholesterol “by binding with bile acids and then being flushed from the body instead of being re-absorbed,” she adds. When bile acids are flushed, your body pulls from cholesterol stores for more bile acid, thus lowering your levels, she says. 4. Hot Peppers Hot peppers are loaded with capsaicin, a compound that helps your body burn more calories by boosting metabolism. In a recent study in Obesity, researchers found an increased amount of capsaicin for 10 weeks lowered obesity-induced insulin resistance in mice. More research shows the compound can also help reduce blood pressure by relaxing arterial walls, says Erin Palinski-Wade, R.D., author of Belly Fat Diet For Dummies. 5. Mushrooms Since they’re chock full of antioxidants, shrooms are great for keeping you disease-free. Even more: Promising animal studies have shown that mushrooms may help to decrease spikes in blood sugar levels, improving overall blood sugar control, says Palinski. Try substituting shitake mushrooms for meat every now and then—they’ve been shown to be just as satisfying, and provide about a quarter of the calories, she adds. 6. Eggplant Low in calories—about 35 per cup—and high in fiber, iron, and calcium, eggplant will help you stay full and keep your body strong, says registered dietitian Ilyse Schapiro. The vegetable also contains antioxidants called bioflavonoids, which can help to control high blood pressure and reduce stress. Just don’t fry it like your favorite restaurant may—instead, grill, roast, or bake it, Schapiro adds. 7. Artichokes “Artichokes are ranked seventh out of 1,000 foods in terms of their antioxidant level,” says Schapiro. Why that matters: Antioxidants like quercertin, rutin, and luteolin have been linked to a slew of health benefits from reducing forms of cancer to benefitting your liver, she says.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 12:17:24 +0000
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