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The key to living your healthiest life involves following a balanced diet that’s packed with a variety of different foods. In order to ensure you are getting the proper amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and healthy fats, it helps to choose foods from each food group and change things up on a daily basis. With that said, some foods receive more praise for their nutritional benefits than others.
These five foods you should eat every day always seem to pop up on nutritionists’ lists of best foods for health. They’re rich in nutrients, low in calories, and (bonus point!) are all delicious and simple to incorporate into your daily diet.
Blueberries
"Antioxidant" is every health-conscious person's favorite buzzword these days. When it comes to listing healthy foods that can fight cell-damaging free radicals like no other, blueberries are way up there. The sweet and small blueberry is rich in fiber, vitamin C, and manganese. But, the reason they're such a superstar among nutritionists has to do with the fact that they contain at least 15 antioxidants that protect your cells, tissues, and muscles.
"If you are going to add one fruit to your diet, make it blueberries," FridaHarju, the in-house nutritionist at Lifesum, told Byrdie. "They have been labeled a superfood due to their high levels of polyphenols, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory compounds that … help to combat memory loss and enhance your mood."
Oatmeal
It's pretty convenient that you can pop a few blueberries into another really healthy food that nutritionists love: Oatmeal. Like blueberries, oats also contain antioxidants and can lower blood sugar levels and reduce your risk of heart disease. Oatmeal is an excellent source of fiber, protein, manganese, magnesium, and B vitamins.
Tomatoes
It's all about antioxidants. Tomatoes have a wealth of lycopene, an antioxidant that reduces your risk of heart disease and certain cancers. They contain vitamins A, C, K, and B6, as well as potassium, copper, and manganese.
Interestingly, recent studies have shown that you'll get more nutritional benefits from cooked tomatoes than raw tomatoes — whipping up a delicious tomato sauce helps release more lycopene than eating tomatoes in a salad.
Walnuts
In the vast universe of nuts and seeds, almonds tend to reign supreme, thanks to their high vitamin E content. But walnuts have incredible health benefits that include folate, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins C and B6, and, yes, vitamin E. The best part is that you'll reap the benefits of walnuts when you consume just a handful of them each day.
Yogurt
The next time you crave an afternoon snack, reach for yogurt, which has probotics that introduce "good" bacteria to your gut and help curb inflammation in your body. Yogurt is also an amazing source of calcium, vitamins B-2 and B-12, and potassium. Plain Greek yogurt and yogurt that is low in sugar is always best.
For more info on healthy foods, check out The one food that should be on your grocery list this week and 4 Quick & easy breakfast recipes you should eat for a flat stomach on SHEFinds.com.
[Photos: Shutterstock]
