5 Super Foods to Add to Your Diet

For those looking to eat healthy, the options are certainly endless. With the rise of natural and organic foods in grocery stores, it is certainly easy to make good food choices. But why not step it up a notch and choose a nutritionally dense, energy driven, and delicious food? These "super foods" are perfect picks for the job.

Lean Red Meat

The health benefits of lean red meat are substantial. A proper serving of lean meat contains a complete protein, and all nine essential amino acids needed by the body for growth and development. It also is it is an excellent source of B-complex vitamins, and contains a significant amount of zinc and copper in readily absorbable forms. Lean meat is also very rich in heme iron, a more readily absorbed form of iron in the body, and when eaten together with vegetables will help your body to absorb the non heme iron also found in some vegetables.

Unless you are a vegan or vegetarian, you are probably familiar with eating red meat. While there are many nutritional benefits from eating red meat, there are guidelines to get the most from your serving. Always choose lean cuts of beef, such as round steaks and some cuts of sirloin. And serving portion is the big key in getting the health benefits of lean meat minus the high cholesterol (which puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease). A proper portion of lean steak is only 3 to 4 ounces, roughly the size of a deck of cards. While it may not seem like a lot, there are other ways to eat lean beef than just steak.

Try it In:

Stir-Fry

Thinly sliced, with plenty of fresh veggies, this is a great way to enjoy your lean beef. Saute with very little oil, and serve over brown rice. Marinating your meat beforehand will also help to tenderize any tough cuts and give it great flavor.

Spinach

This leafy green is truly a powerhouse of goodness. Rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, and several antioxidants. Of course, spinach contains loads of folic acid, which helps to prevent spinal and brain birth defects. Women are especially encouraged to get enough folic acid before and during their pregnancies.