Tuesday, February 9, 2010

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!

47 comments :

  1. I am so with you on steel cut oats and sweet potatoes!

    Top Five for me?

    Oats!
    Sweet potatoes
    bananas
    blueberries
    pomegranate

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  2. Um.. 5 of my favorite foods, seriously.. you rock! Thanks for the shout out! I currently have 4 massive sweet taters on my kitchen counter as we speak.. lol ;)

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  3. Great start to your list! I have a whole page on my blog devoted to "my superfoods".
    I've never tried quinoa. I need to add it to my pantry!
    Couldn't agree with you more on the oat combo. I always do a 50/50 blend of the two for my oatmeal, two. PERFECT texture that way.

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  4. Isn't interesting how our tastes change?

    I would say my top five veggies/whole grains are:

    Brussel Sprouts
    Oat Bran
    Bananas
    Kale
    Spinach

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  5. Just had red quinoa for dinner, and while I didn't have kale, I did have collards. Oats are also a must have in my kitchen, although I tend to go for old fashioned due to lack of time. Bananas and peanut butter, sweet potatoes, rice, and beans are also frequently occurring items in my diet.

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  6. Mine would definitely also include kale and sweet potatoes! Also...hmmmm...bananas, avocados, almond butter, apples...too many!

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  7. I definitely agree with your whole list, though I've never tried kale. Does it tend to be a less gas-producing food? I can't do spinach, but I wonder if I could do kale?

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  8. Hmmm...

    oats
    Greek yogurt
    honey
    wild rice
    artichokes

    I love your list! I love sweet potatoes. Sadly, I haven't found a way to eat quinoa that I just love. It has this musky taste that I just don't enjoy :(

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  9. Finally - you included quinoa, oats, and sweet potatoes....i dislike how the blog world sometimes seems to shun carbs and grains like they are the devil...
    thank u for this good well rounded perspective...yay for grains and carbs :)

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  10. Sweet Potatoes
    Roma Tomatoes
    Pumpkin Puree
    Spinach
    Cucumbers
    .... I have so many more!

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  11. I've never tried kale or quinoa. I've heard kale is a bit bitter so I'm a little scared to try it and I've never really heard much about quinoa but from looking on blogs, it kind of reminds me of fish eggs which kind of freak me out!

    My superfoods are:
    Broccoli
    Oranges
    Greek Yogurt
    Beans/Lentils (!!)
    Carrots

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  12. Our lists are very similar:

    Oats
    Quinoa
    Sweet potatoes
    Tomatoes/salsa/tomato sauce
    Spinach and kale

    I know I was cheating a bit on my list as I included more than 5 items...

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  13. i also love sweet potatoes! i just pop them in the microwave for a few minutes and let it cool before eating it in it's natural form. it's sooo good.

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  14. Red Peppers
    Broccoli
    Apples
    Sweet Potatoes
    Bananas

    I have been trying to find quinoa forever in my local store and I can't! I had a great recipe for stuffed red peppers and the stuffing was made with quinoa. I can't wait to try it, but I just have to find the quinoa first!

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  15. Quinoa is definitely on the top of my list, too!
    Avocado
    Nuts, almonds walnuts
    Greens
    Legumes

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  16. recently mine would be
    black bean
    black sesame seeds
    red dates
    tofu
    bok choy
    yeah~~ no kabocha is on the list! :)

    one question Gina, do you make popcorn every night or you make a batch and save it for next day? I have a popcorn maker that makes 3oz. of corn every batch and that's too much for a day. any tip?

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  17. I just made a GREAT quinoa meal...homemade chick peas soaked with .5 Cup of grain in .5 Cup Veggie broth with 2 threads of saffron, .5 Tbl lemongrass and .5 tablespoon fresh ginger, and 1 table spoon toasted almonds and cranberries, each. SO YUMMY!

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  18. What?! No whacky acai berry blends? LOL!

    These are my superfoods but they are not for everybody...

    Spinach
    Blueberries
    Protein Powder (a staple in my diet)
    Salmon
    Cinnamon

    Food is super!

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  19. I agree with all of those! I don't eat a lot of popcorn. My stomach can not tolerate it at all! But I sure do love it!

    I would also have salmon, greek yogurt, hummus, and spinach.

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  20. i'm with you on all of those except I definitely need to start eating more kale!

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  21. i'm with you on all of those except I definitely need to start eating more kale!

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  22. yayyyyyyyyyyy :) haha so wait when i pop my entire 12 cup machine to the brim that means i'm getting 4 servings of whole grains....

    sweet potatoes are so in style now ;) i love filling mine to the brim with cottage cheese, cinnamon and vanilla extract mmmmmmm :) i could totes go for some p corn and sweet potates right now!

    can't wait to see the next 5!

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  23. My top five...hmmm. Probably:

    oatmeal w/pecans and dried cherries
    natural peanut butter
    Greek yogurt
    red peppers
    blueberries

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  24. Great List!

    My top 5 are; Kale, Avocado, Pear, Quinoa, Zucchini

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  25. this is tough! but...

    nut butters
    lentils
    spinach
    salmon
    greek yogurt

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  26. love the super foods !! i never really eat quinoa
    but for me- nut butters and greek yogurt is definitely on therea long with apples!

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  27. Whole wheat pasta
    whole wheat wraps (makes great pizza crusts too!)
    Greek yogurt
    Oats
    White Chocolate Chips.

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  28. I love Quinoa! I make it as though it was the rice in "fried rice" except I don't fry it. :) delicious!

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  29. My top 5 list:

    1. POM Juice
    2. Brown Rice Flour
    3. Brown Rice
    4. Acai
    5. Sweet Potato

    I have so many new things that I added lately. I have never tried Kale. I am kid of scared :)

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  30. I LOVE sweet potatoes!

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  31. Great list! Julie's blog always makes me want to get a popcorn maker lol! Mine are:

    1) oats
    2) Greek yogurt
    3) dark chocolate
    4) salmon
    5) kale

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  32. HAHA I am sure Julie is happy to see Popcorn on that list lol

    My 5 are

    PB
    Oats
    Spinach
    Tofu
    Banana

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  33. That's too funny! I'm sure I wasn't reading your blog back when you posted, cause I would have remembered that someone had put soyjoy on the top of their list. ;)

    I'm not very original here, but here are a few of mine:

    oats, spinach, sweet potatoes, beans, blueberries

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  34. I like this list because it makes me feel good that you approve of the foods that make my list, too :) Except kale...I just can't get into kale to save my life.

    Other than that I love all the foods on your list, especially popcorn!

    More of my favorites:
    Brown rice
    Broccoli
    Blueberries
    Spinach
    Bananas

    ...Hmm, I guess I also like foods that start with B ;)

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  35. those are some of my favs too!!!
    I missed biggest loser this week- I was so bummed it didnt record.

    if you could write a thesis on vitamin D.... what would YOU look at ??

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  36. What a great list of superfoods! I personally like a little hot sauce on my popcorn :)

    My superfoods include blueberries (frozen right now!), Swiss chard (or any leafy green), Brussels sprouts (or any cruciferous veggie), and sprouts. Yum!

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  37. I LOVE this idea of a personal superfoods list!

    My (current- because it DOES tend to change!) top five fruits/veggies/whole grains:
    - apples
    - bananas
    - spinach
    - snow peas
    - popcorn

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  38. I love your list!!! Except for some reason, i haven't gotten into steel cut oats...it's probably because my toppings SUCK. :P

    I have to say, top fruits would have to include dragon fruit for me....definitely. And kabocha? hahah I eat so much of it I'm practically orange!!! And mushrooms!! Do any of these match your next 5 super foods?

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  39. I love your list of "super foods." Greek yogurt is the top of my list. Berries are usually consumed by me on a daily basis so I would have to include that on my list.
    As far so veggies go, I would have to say anything in the squash family as well as spinach.
    This is making me hungry. haha.

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  40. love that list girl! mine would be
    -greek yog
    -nuts! (in forms of ntu butters too)
    -broccolli
    -sweet potato
    -oats
    -apples
    -blueberries
    -salmon

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  41. I'm right with you about everything on your list!! Such awesome nutrition powerhouses! Quinoa is one of my favorite foods of all time... and I love cold sweet potatoes too! :-) Have you tried a sweet potato topped with peanut butter or almond butter? Soooo yummy! :-)

    Hmmmm, my top five would definitely include quinoa and kale, along with chickpeas, eggplant, and spinach! :-)

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  42. I just bought that same package of oats! Can't wait to try it.

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  43. I love this post! If i had to pick my top five would be spinach, bananas, apples, sweet potatoes and carrots.

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  44. My top 5 fruits/veggies/whole grains:

    1. Tomatoes
    2. Bananas
    3. Sweet Potatoes
    4. Oatmeal
    5. Grapes

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  45. Eat superfood to maintain your overall health. Thanks a lot for sharing that valuable information.

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