Recipes: Add color to your healthy diet with super foods

by Lorie Fangio of Town Square Buzz

Theses multi-taskers taste great and pack a nutritional wallop.

Town Square Buzz

Home Economist and Lifestyle Adviser Lorie Fangio

What makes super foods so super? Super foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that fight disease and keep our bodies healthy. These are multi-tasking foods that not only taste great and have many health benefits, they can also assist us with sheading unwanted pounds and many have anti-aging properties as well.

We will explore 10 amazing foods and how they work to support our overall health. In this installment, we’ll tackle the first five foods. I have included several recipes so you can begin incorporating these foods into your diets immediately. Head to the grocery store to fill your cart with the first five super foods and stay tuned for more.

Crucifers, including broccoli, cabbage, and kale: Crucifers are high in fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals, giving them cancer prevention properties. These foods help to detoxify vital organs and assist the body in dealing with the effects of stress. Crucifers support overall colon health and may also prevent memory loss.

Wild caught salmon: Salmon is an excellent source of high-quality protein that can help fill you up and keep you slim. Salmon is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids that prevent heart disease and other inflammatory illnesses as well as improving the overall look and feel of skin. Omega 3’s have also been linked to improving mental health. Salmon also contains high amounts of vitamins D and E.

Some foods are so super they don't even need a mild-mannered alter-ego.

Nuts, including walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and macadamia nuts: Eating nuts as part of your regular diet can lower your cholesterol, making them good for your heart. Nuts have cancer fighting properties, help to control your weight by keeping your blood sugars stable, and promote good skin. People that snack on nuts are more likely to avoid snacks high in sugar and saturated fats. Nuts are high in calories, so a palm full a day is all you need.

Green tea: Green tea contains polyphenols that can protect the body against heart disease, cancer, and strokes. These polyphenols work with the body to help it burn and use stored fat. Green tea has also been linked to increased resting metabolism making it one of the best foods out there for weight loss.

Apples and pears: There really is something to the phrase “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” These fruits are rich in vitamin C, and flavonoids, a potent anti-oxidant making them an excellent choice for good health. Apples on average contain 3 grams of fiber. Pears have a whopping 6 grams, making them great to fill you up and keep the inside of the body clean.

Salmon with Fresh Salsa

1 pound salmon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning
Salsa
1 medium tomato cubed
1 tablespoon red onion finely chopped
½ red bell pepper cubed
½ avocado chopped
½ cup fresh or frozen corn
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh jalapeno
½ cup fresh strawberries hulled and chopped
Zest from 1 small lime
1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush fish lightly with olive oil, place remaining olive oil in chefs pan set to medium heat. Sprinkle fish with seasonings and then panko, using your hands press panko firmly into fish. Place fish fillets crumb side down into hot pan and cook for 2-4 minutes until crumbs are brown. Remove fish from pan and place in a baking dish crumb side up and bake for 12-15 minutes. For salsa, combine all ingredients and toss, add salt if desired. To serve, spoon a generous amount of salsa on each portion of fish.

Grilled Pear with Gorgonzola Cheese

2 firm Bosc pears
2 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese
¼ cup caramelized walnuts
1 lime
Olive oil

Blanch pears in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, place pears in ice bath to cool and remove skin. Cut pears in half and remove core. Drizzle hot grill pan with olive oil and cook halved pears for 2-3 minutes on each side. Squeeze fresh lime juice over pears. Place one pear on each plate, sprinkle with gorgonzola cheese and caramelized walnuts.