Healthy Food in Indiana

There is only so much food you can eat in any given day, so why not make the most of it? Getting healthy food in Indiana is easy – you just need to know what to look for!

There is only so much food you can eat in any given day, so why not make the most of it? Combining certain foods can end up providing you with more nutritional benefit than if eaten alone. Think of it as one plus one equals four instead of two. Try these three simple food pairings to boost the overall nutrient quality of your meals.

Salads with Healthy Fats

Many of us eat salads on a regular basis and know that a plateful of colorful vegetables is a nutrition powerhouse. But to get the most out of your salad, you’re going to need to add a little fat. Research shows that pairing vegetables with a bit of fat can improve the absorption of powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids that are found in tomatoes and carrots. If you choose to use a fat-free dressing on your salad, just remember to add some cubed avocado or nuts and seeds. Otherwise, use one to two tablespoons of an olive oil-based dressing to optimize every bite.

Turmeric and Black Pepper

Even though we use spices in small doses, they are widely recognized as powerful disease-fighters and turmeric is no exception. This golden spice, used for color and flavor in curries, is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. More specifically, it is the content of curcumin that is responsible for the health benefits associated with this spice. Curcumin by itself is not well absorbed by the body but the simple addition of piperine (found in black pepper) can enhance the absorption of curcumin by almost 2000%! That’s a lot of bang for the buck. In addition to curries, add turmeric to soups, rice, vegetable sautés or scrambled eggs — but don’t forget to add some black pepper.

Kiwi and Iron-fortified Cereal

If ready-to-eat cereal is your go-to morning meal, be sure to top it with kiwi and not sliced bananas. Kiwi is rich in vitamin C, which helps convert the plant form of iron into a form more easily absorbed by the body. The same logic applies to other iron-containing plant-based foods, like beans, spinach and oatmeal. To boost iron absorption from these foods, pair them with vitamin C rich sources such as red peppers, citrus and berries. Adding red pepper strips and mandarin oranges to a spinach salad or topping your oatmeal with raspberries and blackberries are simple steps to get the most out of your meals.

Healthy Food in Indiana