Five Awesome Fruits and Vegetables and How to Use Them in Your Meals

I've always been interested in eating healthier and including more fruits and vegetables in my diet. One wall I have run into in the past is that many articles and magazines talk about foods that I don't like or don't know what to do with. I decided to make a list of my top five fruits and vegetables including their health benefits and easy ways to use them in meals or desserts. 

1. Cucumber

Health Benefits:  

• 96% water, helps to hydrate you, helps to flush out toxins
• vitamins A, B, C, and potassium
• can reduce cancer risk
• good source of fiber which aids digestion
• silica aids in joint health and strong nails

Uses:

• sliced in a sandwich instead of lettuce
• chunks or slices in a pasta salad
• sliced with salt and pepper, or balsalmic vinegar as a snack
• if you slice them up ahead of time and keep them in a container in your fridge, you will be surprised how often you reach for this healthy and almost zero-calorie snack!

2. Clementines (seedless tangerines)

Health Benefits:

• lots of vitamins C and B, calcium, potassium, fiber, and folic acid
• only 35 calories
• full of antioxidants
• the smell is said to be very calming and stress-relieving
• helpful to vision health

Uses:

• these are so easy to peel, sweet and delicious that they are wonderful alone as a snack
• peel and add to yogurt
• peel and add to vanilla ice cream
• peel and add to a salad

3. Zucchini

Health benefits: 

• low calorie, only 35 calories per cup
• high water content
• filled with protein and fiber
• vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, potassium, and folate
• helps lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, and lower blood pressure

Uses:

• add to pasta dishes
• use as the basis of a stir fry
• fry in a pan with a little olive oil and melt a little low-fat mozzarella cheese on top
• pizza topping
• as a side dish with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top

4. Bananas

Health Benefits:

• only about 108 calories
• vitamin B6 that helps ward off obesity and diabetes
• lowers blood pressure and blood sugar
• fiber which curbs over-eating, and potassium which neutralizes sodium
• helps prevent kidney cancer

Uses:

• alone as a snack
• with yogurt as a dip
• in cereal
• with chocolate ice cream
• banana bread!

5. Broccoli

Health Benefits: 

• great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber
• lessens the risks of cancer, heart disease, and cataracts
• vitamins c and a, folic acid, and calcium
• only around 52 calories a cup
• boosts immune system and helps heal sun damage

Uses:

• add to a pasta dish
• ingredient in stir fry
• raw in salad
• blanched with salt, lemon pepper, and parmesan cheese

There you have it. These are my five favorites, and I'm happy that my favorites also happen to be some of the cheapest and easiest to find!

What is your favorite fruit or vegetable? Do you have any great uses for mine that I don't have listed here? Please share! I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time,

J

Resources:

Healthonlinezine
Chatelaine
3FatChicks

Healthdiaries
HowStuffWorks