Why it’s healthy: One cup of watercress has just 4 calories, but it’s loaded with vitamins A, C, and K. It also contains lutein and zexanthin, two antioxidants that are beneficial for eye health.
How to eat it: Swap watercress for the lettuce on your next sandwich, or toss a bowl of the leaves with goat cheese, toasted pistachios, and your favorite vinaigrette.
2. Vanilla Beans: Growing off climbing vanilla orchid plants, these fruits have a famously sweet fragrance and flavor.
Why they’re healthy: These little beans pack big phenolic compounds, which work as potent antioxidant, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammation agents.
How to eat them: Drink them. Combine 1.5 cups pear juice, 6 oz. vodka, and seeds from 1/2 of a vanilla bean. Shake it all up, pour it over ice, and start sipping. (
3. Cocoa Powder: The commercial name for cocoa solids, it’s the low-fat component of the cacao bean.
Why it’s healthy: It contains several minerals including calcium, magnesium, and sodium, and can contain up to 10 percent of its weight in flavanoids, which may prevent heart disease and stroke.
How to eat it: Make a mole sauce with unsweetened cocoa powder or add a small amount (a little goes a long way) to savory sauces.
4. Sorghum: This gluten-free grain is similar in taste and texture to wheat berries.
Why it’s healthy: With 70 percent starch—and a good chunk of protein—it’s a solid energy source. What’s more, it lowers cholesterol and packs B-complex vitamins.
How to eat it: Try it in your Tabbouleh salad instead of bulgur wheat, or sub sorghum syrup for honey in any recipe.
5. Raisins: We assume you know what a raisin is.
Why they’re healthy: While dark raisins pack anthocyanins that provide the same carb boost as an energy gel, all are a top source of boron, which helps to build and keep strong bones.
How to eat them: Kick your oatmeal up a notch by sprinkling a handful of raisins on top.
6. Ginger Root: The horizontal stem of the ginger plant, it has a slightly hot, citrus-like taste.
Why it’s healthy: Nine compounds found in ginger can improve your gastrointestinal function. Even better, the plant eases muscle pain associated with exercise.
How to eat it: Grate a little fresh ginger root on anything from your stir-fry to your morning mimosa.
7. Kidney Beans: Also known as chili beans or red beans, they have a dark red skin and curvy shape (hence their name.)
Why they’re healthy: A quarter cup of red kidney beans has more than 6,000 antioxidants, plus 3 grams of cholesterol-fighting fiber. What’s more, they pack plenty of muscle-boosting protein.
How to eat them: Mash them up and mix them into ground beef when making hamburger patties. Or go the southern route by whipping up beans and rice.
8. Coffee: America really does run on Dunkin’: Good old Joe is the number one source of antioxidants in the American diet.
Why it’s healthy: A cup of java—both caffeinated and decaf—contains a host of antioxidants, including chlorogenic acid, which prevents the oxidation of bad cholesterol. (
How to drink it: Espresso, Americano—order whatever you like. Just take it easy on the sugar and whip.
9. Barley: A major cereal, its small, oval-shaped grains are fun for more than feeding livestock.
Why it’s healthy: This fiber jackpot lowers your cholesterol and carries a heap of nutrients including molybdenum, folate, and manganese. It might even boost your brainpower.
How to eat it: For a grain, this thing is pretty darn versatile. Add it to soup, use it for risotto, or sprinkle it on salad for an extra crunch.
10. Eggs: How many times can we say it? Eating eggs does not raise your risk for heart problems.
Why they’re healthy: Where do we start? Whole eggs contain more vitamins and minerals per calorie than pretty much any food. They’re also one of the best sources of choline, a chemical your body needs to break down fat for energy.
How to eat them: However you want. Serve them scrambled, sunnyside up, poached, or hard-boiled, and enjoy.
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