Planning out your grocery list can be a chore.
It's not enough to make sure Oreos, taquitos, and the 5-gallon ice cream do not end up in the cart.
In this economy, we need to maximize the benefits of the healthy food choices we are making as much as possible.
The solution? Superfoods.
Superfoods are those categorized as polynutrient rich with few negative properties.
I sat down with a personal trainer here in Santa Rosa who believes the best superfoods are those that have super taste and are super versatile.
She shared her top five with me.
Low fat/Fat Free Plain Yogurt- High in protein, potassium, and vitamin D, yogurt contains helpful digestive bacteria that balances, maintains, and cleans out the digestive tract.
These digestive bacteria can also make yogurt easier to digest than milk for those who have lactose sensitivities.
And plain yogurt could not be more versatile! Mix it up by adding fresh fruit and granola.
Perfect as a snack or breakfast entrée.
"Also, try using yogurt as a substitute for some of the mayonnaise-based dips you'd make for veggie-platters at your next lunch meeting," says the Santa Rosa personal trainer.
Nuts - Nut have gotten a bad rap for their relative high fat content.
Our personal trainer explained, however, that in moderation, the benefits of nuts far outweigh its poor reputation.
Nuts are high in protein and do contain a lot of fat for their size, but these are good fats.
Nuts are also full of fiber making them filling.
They are delicious raw or roasted in salads, cereals, and even entrees.
Add small snack bags to your grocery list because nuts make an excellent mobile snack.
Kiwis - This funny furry fruit is full of vitamin A and E.
Vitamin A, also known as retinol, keeps your skin, eyes, and other membranes, moist.
Retinol also aids in the eye's ability to adjust to light and therefore is vital to ocular health.
Vitamin A is typically found in animal products.
However some plants, like the kiwi, produce beta-carotene which humans then convert into Vitamin A.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant.
Antioxidants fight against cellular damage due to oxygen and other free radicals.
Damaged cells in the body can cause cell dysfunction that may lead to the onset of problems such as heart disease and diabetes.
Eat alone or add a little flare to your desserts and salads.
But be careful, the Santa Rosa personal trainer warns, kiwi has such a high fiber content that it is sometimes used as a mild laxative! Sweet Potatoes - Keeping with the need to satisfy that sweet tooth, sweet potatoes are a member of the nutrient rich dark orange vegetable family.
Along with pumpkin, carrots, orange bell peppers, and butternut squash, sweet potatoes trump their white potato cousins by being loaded with vitamin C, calcium and potassium.
Being lower in calories and more rich in taste, sweet potatoes are a quick and easy switch that gives you more nutrition for your buck.
Salmon - This delicious fish is full protein, iron, and unsaturated fats known as Omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated and essential for normal metabolism.
Humans, the Santa Rosa personal trainer tells me, are unable to produce these acids.
Omega-3s are believed to lower triglycerides and increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind).
Its anticoagulant properties suggest that Omega-3 may even help lower high blood pressure.
There are many fish high in Omega-3 fatty acid so diversifying your intake will spread out unwanted buildup in your body such as Mercury.
Superfoods are everywhere.
Before we parted, the Santa Rosa personal trainer encouraged me to investigate the foods I love and find out what is super about them.
The best thing about superfoods is they are super all around.
Even better, there are so many different superfoods to choose from! Great in taste, nutrients, and versatility, while being reasonable in price makes these five foods a must-add to next week's grocery list.