Gina's "Superfoods" (First 5 of 10)

When I first started blogging, one of the first posts I wrote was focused on my "must have foods", which included frozen vegetables, avocado, SOYJOY, and tuna! It's no wonder no one commented on that post, what a random list. I do still eat those foods, but they are no longer part of my "must have foods". Here is my new list, which I now call my "Superfoods":

1) Quinoa

It's easy to prepare, full of high quality protein, gluten and wheat free, and of course very tasty. I add this to soups, use it as a side, or eat it with sauteed vegetables. Quite honestly, the possibilities are endless when it comes to this whole grain.

2) Steel Cut Oats OR Oat Bran
I never thought I would turn into a hot cereal girl, but now I'm hooked. These two products have between 5-6 grams of protein, and 4-6 grams of fiber, per serving. They are both whole grains, which means they also contain healthy phytonutrients.


3) Popcorn
Indeed Julie, I did include popcorn! This is my g0-to nighttime snack, on most days of the week. I like to add garlic, a bit of salt, and sometimes cinnamon (thanks to Julie's suggestion). Three cups of popcorn is one serving of whole grain (you should get between 3 and 6 servings of whole grains per day, depending on your dietary needs). Popcorn is also a good source of fiber, with 3 grams per 3 cups.



4) Sweet potatoes

I still can't believe I used to only eat these in the form of fries (which, of course, is a wonderful form, it just gets old after a while). After reading the posts by Abby for quite some time, and reading about the goodness of a simple sweet potato, eaten whole, and not made into chips or fries, I found myself hooked. Now I literally keep cooked sweet potatoes in my fridge so I can just grab and eat one on the run. I even like them cold!

1 medium sweet potato has about 100 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 37% DV vitamin C, and over 400% beta carotene (antioxidant)

5) Kale
Originally I bought kale to make into "cooked kale", with canned tomatoes and garlic (a lovely side dish), but now I like to switch it up and make kale chips on occasion.
1 cup of kale, on average, provides 40 calories, 3 grams fiber, 2 grams protein, over 350% DV vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene), and about 85% DV vitamin C. But most importantly, it doesn't give me gas, yeah!

Question: These are my top five fruits/veggies and whole grains, what are some of yours?

Coming up

Tomorrow I'll finish my list, obviously I won't leave you hanging. For now, I'm off to watch the Biggest Loser! Nick better not lose in poker again tonight, because if he does I'm making him watch it with me. Muahaha

Thanks for reading everyone, and have a great night/day!