We are still in heart health month and the month we tend to celebrate red for heart health, so I wanted to share some ideas on how to get red superfoods into your body for better health.
What can red superfoods do for your health?
Compounds in some foods called polyphenols can help reduce inflammation, support blood sugar health, brain health, immune health, gut health and heart health.
Below are 11 red superfoods and ideas for how to add them to your weekly meals and snacks.
Pick and choose which foods sound good and add them to your meal plan for next week.
Quick tip: Keep a meal planning or shopping list handy. I prefer paper but you can also use a phone app. When you think of foods or recipes you want to have jot it down before you forget. Then choose one day each week to plan your meals and snacks out.
Here’s your list of 11 Red Superfoods . . .
- Strawberries: Berries should be starting to taste much better now that we are closer to spring! But unless you grow your own, make sure to wash them well or buy organic to reduce risk of pesticide residue. Here’s a link to the dirty dozen and clean 15 for more info.
- Red/purple grapes: this one should be easy to find – same rule as strawberries when it comes to pesticide risk.
- Apples: great for your gut bacteria and the red peelings are also great for heart health and fighting cancer
- Cranberries: good for preventing urinary tract infections, good for heart health and diabetes/prediabetes. Enjoy them fresh or cooked or frozen or dried or juice but remember the added sugar could be high depending on the product.
- Tart Cherries: powerful for reducing inflammation. When you can’t buy fresh you might find frozen or juice. Real tart cherry juice is quite expensive though.
- Pomegranate: best in November or December but you can get pomegranate juice and flavor your water with that or drink a “shot” daily for the health benefit. Just make sure you are buying 100% pomegranate juice, not a juice blend.
- Beets: my favorite is roasted. Some like pickled beets but there are many ways to enjoy beets. You can steam and add to salads or enjoy as a side dish. There are alot of beet supplements advertised these days, but many are overpriced and don’t even contain much of the beneficial ingredient. If you are thinking about buying them message me. I can give you some feedback on products.
- Tomatoes/Tomato paste: rich in lycopene, which helps fight cancer and help keep your heart healthy.
- Watermelon: right now, the easiest way to enjoy some watermelon is to buy a small container of pre-cut. It is a little spendy but can be a nice treat this time of year.
- Red Bell Peppers: This is great for salads, stir fry or just enjoying raw slices. Again – unless you buy organic, wash well due to risk of pesticides.
- Goji berries – It’s actually kind of orange red but this is one I just found in my local grocery store and tried. Surprisingly, for fruit it’s high in protein but also can be high in sugar, as is any dried fruit if you have too much at once.
Goji berries are a fantastic source of vitamin A. I discovered I like the taste, but they are quite spendy at around $15 for a bag. I think I will like them mixed with nuts and maybe some dark chocolate. Give them a try if you want something different!
So this month for heart health, make an effort to add red foods to your meals and snacks each week.
