Five Foods You Should Be Eating

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes don’t just taste good, they can also serve as the backbone of your diet. One of their greatest assets is that the sweet potato has lots of Vitamin A.  For those who are paleo, vegetarian or vegan, sweet potatoes are also a great source of protein with 2.1 grams per potato which can accumulate to a solid sum.  

Sweet potatoes are also rich in anti-oxidants that make them one of the most valuable additions to your kitchen (especially in winter during flu season). In some studies, sweet potatoes have been a better source of beta-carotene than green leafy vegetables. Sweet potatoes are also helpful in the digestive process and are an anti-inflammatory. Sweet potatoes with a purplish hue seem to provide the most health benefits.

Price per pound on average: $ 1.46

Recommend Recipe: Sweet potato fries with sea salt

Kale

Kale is sometimes viewed as a dietary fad, but it is far from that. Kale is a multi-purpose vegetable that can be used as an anti-inflammatory with anti-cancer nutrients. Kale is high in Vitamin K. In short, Kale packs in lots of nutrients. You should not eat kale every day; rather eat it every other day. The best way to benefit from eating vegetables is to vary them instead of strictly eating the same ones day in and day out.

Price per pound: $2.47 per pound

Recipe: Stemmed kale with carrots

Grass Fed Meats

Why does it matter if you eat grass fed meats? Grass fed chickens and cows have a cleaner diet that produces a tastier and cleaner meal. Standard meats you buy at the store that are not grass fed come from  factory farms which could be placing multiple chemicals into an animal to force growth.  Further, grain feed animals tend to have been fed “iffy” grain that may not properly break down inside of your body. Think of it as a wheat version of diet soda.  

Grass fed meats also produce drastically less cholesterol in the body and are much leaner producing less fat. When the animal you eat adheres to a strict diet, it limits the variables and can produce leaner protein.

Price per pound: $8.00

Recommend Recipe: Sloppy Joe’s on wheat or gluten-free bread with grass fed meat

Blueberries

Blueberries essentially contain every known anti-oxidant. They also help with cardiovascular health mainly through reducing cholesterol. Blueberries have also been cited for improving eye function and help with cognitive acuity. Blueberries don’t just taste good, they’re healthy. In some stores the price is high, but the benefits are enormous.

Price per pound: $4.33 per box

Recipe: Grabbing a handful

Local Honey

Local honey can be used to help with allergies. The word “local” is very important.  If you go to a farmers’ market and buy honey produced in your local area, it will actually condition your body for allergy season because you will be getting used to the pollen in your area. Honey is also a great sweetener and can be applied lightly to salmon or chicken to add flavor. It is also interesting to note that some researchers have hypothesized that taking a teaspoon of honey directly before bed helps with cognitive functioning.

Price per Bottle: $5.00

Recipe: Teaspoon before bed