Healthy Eating - Upgrade Your Meals in Minutes! Part 2

(continued from Part 1)

5. Add prepared fresh salsa to your eggs, veggies, pastas or poultry dishes for a boost in lycopene, vitamin C, potassium and fiber.  Most grocery stores now carry ready made cartons of “fresh salsa” in the refrigerator sections.  And every ingredient in salsa is 100% healthy!

6. Spice up your bean, poultry and rice dishes with turmeric or curry spices.  Both are teeming with the golden yellow pigment, curcumin now world-famous for its anti-inflammatory power.  Inflammation plays a fundamental role in the genesis of many chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer and Alzheimer’s.  It’s no wonder that the population that boasts the highest intake of these spices, namely India, also enjoys the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s in the world. (For more, check out my Anti-Inflammatory Grocery List)

7. Go nuts!  Throw a small handful (about 1 oz.) of nuts (any that suit your palate) into salads, soups, sauces or other prepared dishes.  These delectable morsels of good health score a perfect 10 when it comes to a heart-healthy performance.  Of nuts’ 8 nutritional attributes, 7 provide specific cardiovascular benefits.  It’s no surprise then that several large and powerful studies report that eating about an ounce of nuts 5 days a week can reduce your risk of death from heart disease by a whopping 30-55%!

8. Add canned pumpkin to your soups, pancakes, muffins and other baked goods (I always add canned pumpkin to my corn bread).  This convenient and inexpensive food is one of the most nutrient-packed ones available to you.  Low in calories, high in fiber and providing the most concentrated package of disease-busting carotenoids known, canned pumpkin is an underutilized superstar food.  Carotenoids play a central role in the health of your heart, eyes, skin and immune system.

9. Add pesto to your sandwiches, sauces and pastas.  Decadently delicious and nothing but 100% pure heart-healthy ingredients – fresh basil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil – I eat it regularly and know my cardiovascular system is thankful.  Convenient – prepared pesto is available at most grocery outlets.

10. Throw some berries (frozen just as healthy as fresh) into your pancake mix, smoothies, yogurt or cereals.  Berries are my top-rated fruit – loaded with fiber, vitamin C, folic acid and super-potent antioxidants.  If you knew what I knew about them, I’m sure you would do as I do and include them in your diet daily!

For a complete chart of all the foods I recommend as part of a healthy diet daily, download my free Live Life! Scorecard.

Related Articles:

Building a Healthy Breakfast

Healthy Snacking, Part 1