Wednesday, March 14, 2012

SUPER FOODS

First of all....WHY did I not know about this before now????
As I push myself to eat a more healthy animal free diet, I am perturbed that I did not know about all the amazing super healthy food options that taste great!




I grew up eating the Canadian staples in a bland food family (sorry mom).
The Regulars:
- Pasta night (spaghetti with ground beef)
- Meat loaf (which I never liked)
- Pot roast (usually overcooked), with potatoes, vegetables and salad
- Chicken & Fish (which I rarely ate)


FYI, my Mother and Father have come leaps and bounds from this meal plan 20 years ago, and their meals are much more delicious. (They are taking notes from my foodie Brother and Sister in law).


So on my health quest I have found some of the most amazing foods that do the most amazing transformations to my body! Here is my new list of great tasting healthy foods:

1. Kale.
Kale *source

Some of you may have seen my Green Shake recipe here .
    But Kale is one of the leafy plants that I am still fairly new to. You can read information about this super green plant, and its health benefits just about anywhere online and in food magazines. The Longo's nutritional magazine it featured Kale as one of its Nutritional Punch vegetables for fighting disease. I found further evidence that this food is super rich in the nutritional department on the site Worlds Healthiest Foods , here it states "...This research focus makes perfect sense. Kale's nutrient richness stands out in three particular areas: (1) antioxidant nutrients, (2) anti-inflammatory nutrients, and (3) anti-cancer nutrients in the form of glucosinolates." Try my shake recipe, add it to your stir fry, or try making Kale Chips! Yum.


2. Quinoa.

Cooked *photo by F.F.
Raw *Photo by F.F
Pronounced Keen-Wah.
    I cooked it for the first time today, and yes it can be bland, however add it to a stir fry or put a favorite sauce on it and its delicious!



Healthy power house facts:
- A complete protein
- Gluten-free
- Contains all eight essential amino acids
- Rich in vitamins E, B2 and B6, folic acid, biotin, calcium, potassium, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese and chloride
- Free of cholesterol and trans fat
- Contains high levels of natural antioxidants, mainly
vitamin E
This list was taken from the site Canada.com Story by Laura Brehaut and has a ton of great information on this neat little grain-fruit. (See my recipe soon to follow in the next few days).

3. Nutritional Yeast.

Nutritional Yeast *photo by F.F.
It actually tastes amazing sprinkled on popcorn!
"It is a great source of 18 amino acids, protein, folic acid, biotin and other vitamins. It is also rich in 15 minerals including iron, magnesium, phorphorus, zinc, and chromium, and selenium." Justgoodenergy.com

I have started to add it to many dishes and the more I read about this great yeast (not to be confused with cooking yeast) the more ways I am able to use it. Add it to your favorite dishes to reap the benefits! I buy mine from the Bulk Food Store, however I have read that it should be kept out of light.

I hope this short list of super foods has given you some ideas on how to incorporate healthy eating choices into your home. I will be posting some new recipes soon.

Stay tuned!

~~ Finding Feathers~~

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