7 Must Have Foods For Your Fridge

  What exactly are the most healthful foods to have on hand? 

Ground or Milled Flax Seed. “Sprinkle it on top of a salad, oatmeal or dry cereal. You can also mix it in yogurt, pasta, soup or bake it into muffins or bread.” Make sure to use ground or milled flax seed; the whole seeds are indigestible and accordingly, non-nutritious. The benefits:

• • • Omega 3 fatty acids to “regulate blood pressure, relieve swelling, keep the lining of the arteries smooth.”
    • “Fiber to help fill you up, regulate your bowel movements and control blood sugars.”
    • Antioxidants that reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer
    • Potassium to regulate blood pressure

• Berries. “Some berries are higher in certain nutrients, but generally, they’re all very good. Think seasonality, freshness, ripeness.” The benefits:
  • • Folate to help reduce the risk of numerous diseases, including anemia, heart disease and stroke
    • Manganese for healthy skin and bones
    • Potassium, Vitamin C, Fiber

• Non-fat Greek Yogurt. “Women over 50 tend to need a little additional calcium; this is good for that.
  
  Greek yogurt is ideal because it contains only a small amount of natural sugar. That said, a little bit of sweetener, or another flavorer, is acceptable.” Plus, it has double the protein of normal yogurt

• Walnuts. “A nice source of phosphorus, niacin, and vitamin E to help promote strong bones and teeth, reduce cholesterol and strengthen your immune system.” More benefits:
  • • Omega 3 fatty acids
    • Fiber
    • Lean source of protein

• Dark leafy greens. “Like berries, they’re all good--spinach, watercress, swiss chard, romaine, kale, mustard greens. Steam them, and preserve the juice that you cook them in to minimize the loss of the nutrients.” More benefits:
  • • Vitamins A, B2 and B6, C, E
    • Calcium
    • Folate, Copper, magnesium, potassium, zinc
    • Fiber

• Salmon. “An excellent source of Omega 3s and lean protein.
  Eat wild-raised salmon if you’re concerned with mercury. The current USDA recommendation is that you can have up to twelve ounces of fish a week--even fish with high mercury content--and still be safe. One serving is 3 ounces, or about the size of a deck of cards.”

• Legumes/beans. “Another excellent source of fiber.
  
  Try lentils, split peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, blackeyed peas, Great Northern Beans.” More benefits:
  • • Vitamin B, folate, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc