Kefir
A tangy, thick fermented milk drink full of healthy bacteria and yeast, it also provides all sorts of digestive benefits along with lots of calcium and protein. Make kefir cheese by pouring some into cheesecloth and letting it sit in a strainer for one hour. Then close the ends and hang for 24 hours. Stir in some herbs, and you’ve got a creamy and healthy veggie dip.
Lentils
Easy to use, these legumes are packed with fiber, protein, folate and minerals. Cover dried lentils in a couple inches of water and let sit overnight. Then cook until they’re almost falling apart. Saute onions, garlic, carrot and potatoes, then add to the pot and let boil until the potatoes get tender. Add lemon juice, thyme and spinach to make soup.
Oatmeal
Skip the prepackaged servings, which often contain sugar and sodium. Steel cut, with its twice- or thrice-cut groats, is less processed than rolled oats, which are steamed, rolled and toasted. Don’t find the chewy steel-cut groats palatable? Swap out a tablespoon of rolled oats with steel cut. Increase by one tablespoon a week until steel cut is all you’re eating.
Pomegranates
You can find clever online tutorials on how to remove the seeds (called arils) from these red beauties, but what’s even easier is to buy the seeds already separated. Eat them by the handful, or sprinkle a few atop a salad, oatmeal or yogurt. The jewel-like arils contain lots of vitamin C, plus they’re packed with fiber to help you feel fuller longer.
Sardines
Grab canned varieties of these salty little fish that still have the bones, skin and organs since that’s where the benefits are: hefty amounts of B12 and vitamin D. There’s also lots of calcium and enough omega-3 acid to make these little guys rival a supplement any day. Blend a few with garlic and fresh herbs for a delicious paste on crackers.
Watermelon
Sure they’re 92 percent water, but that other 8 percent is impressive: 1 cup of watermelon has more lycopene than a tomato. It also includes a type of amino acid that helps muscles recover post-workout, which makes watermelon juice a good post-workout choice. Try a salad of watermelon, thinly sliced red onion, torn mint leaves and some salt and pepper.
