The healthiest foods in the world

At this point there are enough different kinds of “health food” out there to make a girl’s head spin, but don’t worry – we’re here to help you out! We’ll show you the healthiest foods on the planet with the best nutritional values. Add them to your meals and get on the fast track to a super-healthy body!

Watercress

Our favorite superfood! If you want to “age backwards” sack your plastic surgeon and instead help yourself to a bag of watercress. This spicy plant contains more vitamin C than oranges and four times more beta-carotene and vitamin A than apples, tomatoes and broccoli. It’s a fantastic source of iron, even more so than spinach and it contains a lot of antioxidants (good for your skin). Another great thing about watercress is that it’s usually grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, fungicides and very few pesticides.

Avocado

Rich, creamy and flavorful – The avocado is a rather unique type of fruit. It is absolutely delicious, low in fructose and rich in healthy fat and potassium. Avocados provide close to 20 essential health-boosting nutrients, including fiber, vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid. Apart from eating them raw (yum!), you can use avocado as a fat substitute in recipes calling for butter or other oils. Adding it to your salad can increase the absorption of nutrients like beta-carotene by three to five times compared to salads without this tasty addition.

By the way, avocados are one of the “safest fruits” on earth since their thick skin protects the inner fruit from pesticides. This means that you don’t need to spend your hard-earned money on organic brands – lucky you!

 Quinoa

Quinoa is everybody’s darling in Hollywood and one of the world’s most popular trend-foods. And that’s for a reason! Known by vegans and vegetarians for several years now, quinoa has gradually become popular also with mainstream-foodies. Quinoa is loaded with protein, fiber and minerals but doesn’t contain any gluten. This means that you’re getting high quality protein without the cholesterol and fat that can come with animal sources. Quinoa also contains good carbs that don’t register very highly on the Glycemic Index, so your body can use them without converting them to fat later.

Sprouts

Did you know that fresh broccoli sprouts, for instance, do a lot more for you than the fully grown broccoli? The fact is that sprouts offer some of the highest levels of nutrition available, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes that work as a kind of shield against free radical damage.

You can easily grow your own sprouts at home. Try alfalfa, sunflower sprouts, broccoli sprouts and watercress sprouts.

Spinach

A smoothie without spinach? No way! This green superfood is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including potassium, calcium, zinc, folate, vitamin A, iron, and selenium. Spinach also contains flavonoids that protect your body from free radicals, while offering anti-inflammatory benefits and antioxidant support. Moreover, it is a good source of immune-boosting antioxidants that are important for skin and eye health.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are often underestimated. They are packed with nutrients, including a variety of phytochemicals that boast a long list of health benefits. Especially organic tomatoes are a great source of lycopene which, due to its antioxidant effects, even lowers the risk of a stroke and cancer. Interestingly enough, when cooked the bioavailability of lycopene increases rather than decreases. This is why cooked tomatoes, as in tomato sauce, are another healthy option for a balanced nutrition.

Wild Salmon

Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids which have been linked to a reduced risk of depression, heart disease and cancer. Eating oily fish like salmon once or twice a week may increase your lifespan by more than two years. However, salmon does not only supply us with omega-3 fatty acids but offers other unique health benefits like its high protein and amino acid content. Studies have shown that salmon contains small bioactive protein molecules that may provide special support for insulin effectiveness and control of inflammation in the digestive tract. Unfortunately, contamination with mercury and pesticides has become a big problem in salmon habitats. Therefore it’s wise to stay on the safe side with wild salmon, for example from Alaska.

Organic Coconut Oil

Is this oil really the miracle food it’s been hyped up to be? Yes, absolutely! The health benefits of coconut oil include skin care, hair care, weight-loss, stress relief, cholesterol level maintenance, boosted immune system, proper digestion and regulated metabolism. But there’s more to come: It also provides relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer, while helping to improve dental quality and bone strength.

But please, do yourself a favor and make sure to choose organic coconut oil, made without heat processing or genetically engineered ingredients.

Nuts

Should you go nuts? Definitely! All nuts have different nutritional values and will offer various health benefits. However, all of them are packed with protein, fiber and essential fats. Only 30 grams of unsalted nuts make a vitality-boosting snack that contains a mix of important vitamins and minerals. Latest research suggests that nuts may increase your lifespan and even support weight loss. Contrary to popular belief, your body needs fat in order to function properly. But of course, it is the dose that makes the poison (in the figurative sense). What we’d like to say is that nuts are very high in calories, which is why you have to be careful with the amount you consume. A handful is absolutely enough. Walnuts, macadamia and pecans provide the highest amount of healthy fat, while almonds are perfect for weight-loss.

Broccoli 

We love Broccoli! What about you? If you have any bad childhood memories connected to this vegetable, it’s time to move on – Broccoli is one of the worlds’ healthiest foods and rich in dozens of nutrients. It contains a high amount of folate, potassium and calcium while also being a great source of phytonutrients, which are compounds that have been proven to reduce the risk of developing heart disease and cancer. As if that wasn’t enough, broccoli also contains a high amount of beta-carotene and vitamin C. All in all, Broccoli is said to be the number one vegetable when it comes to nutrients. Watch out: by overcooking broccoli you will destroy many of its vitamins.

Oatmeal

Thanks to its complex carbohydrates, oatmeal is a very effective source of energy and provides you with B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, folate and potassium. Studies have shown that if you eat a bowl of oatmeal every day, your blood cholesterol levels, especially if they are too high, will drop due to the cereal’s soluble fiber content. Oats are rich in complex carbohydrates, as well as water-soluble fiber which slow down digestion and stabilize blood-glucose levels.

Blueberries

Blueberries are not only super-tasty, but also contain a lot of fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential since they are responsible for catching any free radicals that could possibly damage cellular structures or even your DNA. Studies have shown that people who ate blueberries on a regular basis were less likely to develop dementia and other cognitive problems in old age. Blueberries are also useful when it comes to reducing blood pressure. In any case, you should take care to buy organic blueberries only because non-organic produces usually receive severe chemical treatment. On the bright side, we can freeze blueberries without endangering their valuable antioxidants.

Sweet potatoes

Not only are sweet potatoes absolutely delicious, inexpensive and easy to cook, they have many other benefits for your health. Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, vitamin B5, B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and, due to their orange color, high in carotenoids. Furthermore, they’re fat-free, high in magnesium and potassium and have fewer calories than white potatoes. For as sweet as they are, sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index, which means they release sugar slowly into the bloodstream. In short, sweet potatoes can be a valuable addition to a healthy diet – whether you’re trying to lose weight or just to make better food choices.