7 Healthy Foods You Should Eat Every Week
They're delicious, we promise
We love a good cheat day every once in a while, but we feel much more comfortable indulging if we know that we’ve gotten our fill of essential vitamins and nutrients. To ensure you’re getting enough of the good stuff (to make a little bit of the bad stuff OK), aim to eat these seven foods every single week.
1. Meatless Proteins
Essential for just about every cell in the body, protein doesn’t have to mean chicken or steak. Aim to get sources of meatless protein including lentils, black beans and quinoa.
2. Healthy Fats
“Fat” used to be a dirty word, but healthy fats are necessary for a healthy heart. Monounsaturated fats, like those found in avocados, almonds and coconut and olive oils, help you stay full, absorb vitamins and promote weight loss.
3. Antioxidants
In addition to benefitting the skin, antioxidants support immune system functioning and may prevent certain medical conditions. Get your fill by munching on blueberries, goji berries, artichokes and, yes, dark chocolate.
4. Food with Probiotics
Probiotics are live bacteria that promote digestive and oral health, keep blood pressure in check and protect against UTIs. They can be taken in supplement form, but they’re also found in foods like yogurt, kimchi, miso and kombucha.
5. Good Carbs
Similar to fat, carbs get a bad name, but good carbs like whole grain bread, oats and fruits and veggies provide energy and fuel for your entire body and brain in particular.
6. Hydrating Veggies
You know you should be drinking a ton of water every day, but if constantly sipping H2O isn’t second nature, be sure to eat foods that have a high-water content, like cucumbers, watermelon and romaine lettuce, to stay extra hydrated.
7. Dark, Leafy Greens
And we don’t just mean kale. Expand your repertoire with collard greens, Swiss chard, broccoli rabe, mustard greens, rapini and turnip greens. They’re all high in vitamins C and K, as well as iron and calcium.
